Second homes should be controlled

 A leading Devon Liberal Democrat has called for controls on second homes in the County. Richard Younger-Ross who is seeking to regain the Newton Abbot parliamentary seat next year has called for second homes to require planning consent. Speaking in the Affordable Homes debate at the Liberal Democrats conference in Glasgow, Mr Younger-Ross claimed that second home ownership was forcing local people out of villages and was forcing up the price of property in the rural areas and seaside resorts. Richard Younger-Ross who is a Lib Dem County Councillor says that in many villages the life has been sucked out, with second homes left empty for most of the year. "Young people can not afford to buy or rent in many villages and essential workers face long commutes to work because of the lack of affordable homes close to there work. Our villages are dying as a result, fewer villagers leads to local shops and the pubs closing. With them the heart is ripped out of the community, " "Local communities should be able to control the number of second homes in their area, Parish and Town Councils should be able to say how many second homes their village can accept. Any one wishing to establish a new second home or transfer ownership of one would have to seek planning consent first. This policy would not effect existing owners but allow over time local communities to determine the nature of their village."