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March 28 2024 6.49pm

St Ives taking the p?

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View Forest Hillbilly's Profile Forest Hillbilly Flag in a hidey-hole 13 May 22 9.46am Send a Private Message to Forest Hillbilly Add Forest Hillbilly as a friend

I visited a place called Beaminster about 20 years ago. Working there as a subcontractor for a week.
Nice enough village full of quite striking stone buildings for most of it.
Managed to find a nice B&B a few minutes walk away, which was run by a lady and her husband.

And so the historical nature of the village was that in centuries gone by, it was once the most affluent place in the UK. It attracted the wealthier people, and house prices rose. It had a couple of village pubs a petrol station and lots of shops on the High Street for 'local people'. Local people could live in their own little bubble world of affluence.
The rising house prices meant some local people cashed-in their chips and moved out, and gradually the demographic of the village changed to older persons. Younger people moved away to find careers, and better paid jobs.
Shops and pubs found they could no longer attract younger staff and struggled to keep open , so attracting less tourists bringing money.
A vicious circle ensued, as pubs and shops shut and the older residents now had to get in the car to drive to the supermarket in Yeovil.
House prices gradually stagnated, but the damage had already been done by losing amenities and the younger generation to help run them.
Was a bit of a ghost-town the last time i visited.

Me-thinks St. Ives better think of better longer-term strategies, because what is currently happening is going to deprive the local economy of more money than toilet charges generates.
A bit like putting up parking charges to £10 per hour, which would ultimately kill shopping centres.

 


"The facts have changed", Rishi Sunak

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View ASCPFC's Profile ASCPFC Flag Pro-Cathedral/caravan park 13 May 22 9.53am Send a Private Message to ASCPFC Add ASCPFC as a friend

Originally posted by Forest Hillbilly

I visited a place called Beaminster about 20 years ago. Working there as a subcontractor for a week.
Nice enough village full of quite striking stone buildings for most of it.
Managed to find a nice B&B a few minutes walk away, which was run by a lady and her husband.

And so the historical nature of the village was that in centuries gone by, it was once the most affluent place in the UK. It attracted the wealthier people, and house prices rose. It had a couple of village pubs a petrol station and lots of shops on the High Street for 'local people'. Local people could live in their own little bubble world of affluence.
The rising house prices meant some local people cashed-in their chips and moved out, and gradually the demographic of the village changed to older persons. Younger people moved away to find careers, and better paid jobs.
Shops and pubs found they could no longer attract younger staff and struggled to keep open , so attracting less tourists bringing money.
A vicious circle ensued, as pubs and shops shut and the older residents now had to get in the car to drive to the supermarket in Yeovil.
House prices gradually stagnated, but the damage had already been done by losing amenities and the younger generation to help run them.
Was a bit of a ghost-town the last time i visited.

Me-thinks St. Ives better think of better longer-term strategies, because what is currently happening is going to deprive the local economy of more money than toilet charges generates.
A bit like putting up parking charges to £10 per hour, which would ultimately kill shopping centres.

I guess this is what is being reversed by work from home, but second homes are not adding anything much. Tourism, of course, is likely the mmain business of a lot of these areas. It's stupid to hassle the tourists and make them go somewhere else. I had a friend who was a staunch Cornish nationalist. He spoke Cornish, he was in the Royal Engineers, he had no problem saying what he thought of second homes.
Last time I was in Cornwall was maybe 40 years ago. My Grandad blew up the caravan by cooking a Fray Bentos pie unopened in the microwave. We were in St Ives.

Edited by ASCPFC (13 May 2022 10.13am)

 


Red and Blue Army!

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View Forest Hillbilly's Profile Forest Hillbilly Flag in a hidey-hole 13 May 22 10.11am Send a Private Message to Forest Hillbilly Add Forest Hillbilly as a friend

Originally posted by Wisbech Eagle

Amazing all the experts on Cornwall here. I might not be Cornish, but I do live here.

The story about the loos in St Ives is new, though. The principal isn't. It's quite usual for local people to be given a discount on things. We can get a yearly pass for the Eden Project, for instance. It encourages out of season use. Having to over provide facilities for the summer surge in visitors, which are then under-utilised during the off season, costs money. Never forget that Cornwall remains a deprived area.

Second homes here are becoming a crisis, especially in the coastal towns and villages, with prices being forced to levels completely unaffordable by local people, and then left empty for most of the year, turned into AirBnbs or holiday lets. Drive the local people away, and you also drive away part of what the people come here for in the first place.

I am sure this is not exclusive to Cornwall, but the whole idea of a rarely used second home, when people cannot afford a first one, doesn't sit well, does it?

Welcome to Capitalism and the free-market economy. I thought everyone had a choice ?

 


"The facts have changed", Rishi Sunak

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Yellow Card - User has been warned of conduct on the messageboards View Wisbech Eagle's Profile Wisbech Eagle Flag Truro Cornwall 13 May 22 12.25pm Send a Private Message to Wisbech Eagle Add Wisbech Eagle as a friend

Originally posted by Forest Hillbilly

Welcome to Capitalism and the free-market economy. I thought everyone had a choice ?

I recognise that, and why governments are reluctant to get involved. So that's why it tends to be local action.

Second home ownership is discouraged in several places. In parts of Wales, I believe as well is in some places here. Guernsey has had an open and closed market housing policy for a long time, in which the very wealthy can buy a few open market homes at exorbitant prices but only locals can buy in the closed market.

 

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Yellow Card - User has been warned of conduct on the messageboards View Wisbech Eagle's Profile Wisbech Eagle Flag Truro Cornwall 13 May 22 12.33pm Send a Private Message to Wisbech Eagle Add Wisbech Eagle as a friend

Originally posted by Forest Hillbilly

I visited a place called Beaminster about 20 years ago. Working there as a subcontractor for a week.
Nice enough village full of quite striking stone buildings for most of it.
Managed to find a nice B&B a few minutes walk away, which was run by a lady and her husband.

And so the historical nature of the village was that in centuries gone by, it was once the most affluent place in the UK. It attracted the wealthier people, and house prices rose. It had a couple of village pubs a petrol station and lots of shops on the High Street for 'local people'. Local people could live in their own little bubble world of affluence.
The rising house prices meant some local people cashed-in their chips and moved out, and gradually the demographic of the village changed to older persons. Younger people moved away to find careers, and better paid jobs.
Shops and pubs found they could no longer attract younger staff and struggled to keep open , so attracting less tourists bringing money.
A vicious circle ensued, as pubs and shops shut and the older residents now had to get in the car to drive to the supermarket in Yeovil.
House prices gradually stagnated, but the damage had already been done by losing amenities and the younger generation to help run them.
Was a bit of a ghost-town the last time i visited.

Me-thinks St. Ives better think of better longer-term strategies, because what is currently happening is going to deprive the local economy of more money than toilet charges generates.
A bit like putting up parking charges to £10 per hour, which would ultimately kill shopping centres.

The primary problem there is second homeownership, making the town unaffordable for local people. We avoid it as much as we can during the tourist season, as it gets so many people there that it becomes almost impossible. I don't know, but I suspect they would like to reduce the numbers going there and encourage those that do to have a more comfortable experience, stay longer and spend more. There are loads of other places here which are just as nice and much more easily accessible.

 

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View Teddy Eagle's Profile Teddy Eagle Flag 13 May 22 1.03pm Send a Private Message to Teddy Eagle Add Teddy Eagle as a friend

Originally posted by Wisbech Eagle

I recognise that, and why governments are reluctant to get involved. So that's why it tends to be local action.

Second home ownership is discouraged in several places. In parts of Wales, I believe as well is in some places here. Guernsey has had an open and closed market housing policy for a long time, in which the very wealthy can buy a few open market homes at exorbitant prices but only locals can buy in the closed market.

Doesn't sound great for the sellers if all the open market places age gone.

 

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View Forest Hillbilly's Profile Forest Hillbilly Flag in a hidey-hole 13 May 22 1.18pm Send a Private Message to Forest Hillbilly Add Forest Hillbilly as a friend

Originally posted by Wisbech Eagle

I recognise that, and why governments are reluctant to get involved. So that's why it tends to be local action.

Second home ownership is discouraged in several places. In parts of Wales, I believe as well is in some places here. Guernsey has had an open and closed market housing policy for a long time, in which the very wealthy can buy a few open market homes at exorbitant prices but only locals can buy in the closed market.

And herein lies just one of the problems. How do you define 'local' ? There must be some definition used by Local Authorities/Governments.
And if you have enough money and desire, you can always get past the rules.

 


"The facts have changed", Rishi Sunak

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View Forest Hillbilly's Profile Forest Hillbilly Flag in a hidey-hole 13 May 22 1.21pm Send a Private Message to Forest Hillbilly Add Forest Hillbilly as a friend

Originally posted by Teddy Eagle

Doesn't sound great for the sellers if all the open market places age gone.

Another point. If you had a house for sale for the locals market, but your neighbour lived outside the boundary and could sell their property on the open market (for 40% more), wouldn't you move heaven and earth to get your property out of the locals market ?

 


"The facts have changed", Rishi Sunak

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View stuckinbristol's Profile stuckinbristol Flag In the woodwork. 13 May 22 1.41pm Send a Private Message to stuckinbristol Add stuckinbristol as a friend

Originally posted by Wisbech Eagle

I recognise that, and why governments are reluctant to get involved. So that's why it tends to be local action.

Second home ownership is discouraged in several places. In parts of Wales, I believe as well is in some places here. Guernsey has had an open and closed market housing policy for a long time, in which the very wealthy can buy a few open market homes at exorbitant prices but only locals can buy in the closed market.

There was, in the Eighties, quite a lot of 2nd homes getting burned down in Wales, hence the joke doing the rounds at the time.

"Come home to a real fire...buy a holiday home in Wales"

 

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View Forest Hillbilly's Profile Forest Hillbilly Flag in a hidey-hole 13 May 22 2.26pm Send a Private Message to Forest Hillbilly Add Forest Hillbilly as a friend

I think, and it is only my opinion. That Cornwall has exploited itself as a holiday destination for many years. Todays situation has been brewing away, unchallenged, for decades.

Wales was slightly different, that towns are areas, that although beautiful and scenic in their own right, also had working communities. Not just places like Newport and Port Talbot , but also large swathes of agriculture and rural infrastructure.

And you can blames the Welshies for selling at high prices to people after a second home, but a lot of the local industries need protection, which is why the Welsh Government feels it had to step in. House prices were becoming unaffordable for Welsh workers, who if i'm brutally honest, can be poorly paid when compared to London, and other English cities.

Wales is seeking to conserve it's rural heritage and dissuade holiday home use, whereas St Ive's is torn as it relies heavily on tourism for income to the area.

Just my random thoughts. Happy to hear others

 


"The facts have changed", Rishi Sunak

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W12 13 May 22 5.25pm

Originally posted by Forest Hillbilly

And herein lies just one of the problems. How do you define 'local' ? There must be some definition used by Local Authorities/Governments.
And if you have enough money and desire, you can always get past the rules.

I think everyone instinctively knows what that means.

 

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BlueJay Flag UK 13 May 22 6.31pm

Originally posted by Spiderman

Isn’t that shop a bit of a dump anyway?

. If it wasn't it is now!

 

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