Second homes: Developing new policies in Wales

Dr. Simon Brooks

Recommendations for consideration in Senedd Cymru Inquiry into Second Homes.

Recommendation 1 – develop regional and local variation in public policy

Second homes are primarily a regional and local phenomenon, and the Welsh Government should encourage the development of regional and local policy solutions facilitated by permitting policy variation within a national framework. Public policy solutions should be flexible enough to be applied in different ways in different counties and communities according to regional and local need.

Mae problem enfawr gyda Thai Haf yma ym mhlwyf Llansteffan, Sir Gaerfyrddin. Er bod niferoedd Sir Gar yn weddol isel drwyddi draw, mae tua 25% o dai pentref Llansteffan heb neb yn byw ynddyn nhw – a rheiny i gyd yn stoc cartrefi, heb gynnwys tai haf pwrpasol.

Mae’n RHAID cael polisiau lleol iawn i fedru ymateb I’r angen sydd mewn ardalodd bychain.

Recommendation 2 – control of the numbers of second homes

Public policy should aim to ensure stability as regards the numbers of second homes in communities affected by them, or it should aim to reduce their numbers gradually over a number of years.

Yn bendant. Dylid gosod cap mewn cymunedau sy’n cael eu heffeithio, ac yna ceisio tynnu’r rhifau presennol I lawr at lefel sy’n creu cymuned cynaliadwy.

Recommendation 3 – the definition of second homes

In order to facilitate policy decisions based on objective information, a better definition of second homes is needed. The Welsh Government could consider several ways of doing this but, with this in mind, a Mandatory Licensing Scheme for Holiday Homes should be introduced.

Yn bendant. Mae gwahaniaeth rhwng Tai Haf a Thai Gwyliau. Gall rhai tai gwyliau ddod ag arian I’r economi leol os ydyn nhw’n eiddo I bobl leol. Mae rhsi tai haf yn berchen I bobl o bant ac yn dod a fawr ddim I elwa’r gymuned. Mae’n rhaid creu termau I wahaniaethu rhyngddyn nhw sy’n hawdd I’w deall ac yn cael eu defnyddio’n gyson a chyffredin.

Recommendation 4 – responding to Brexit and Covid-19

In an attempt to mitigate the inevitable effects of Brexit and Covid-19 on the housing market in communities which are heavily impacted by second homes, the Welsh Government should adopt a more proactive approach, and more radical steps should be taken, than would otherwise have been the case.

Yn bendant. Rhaid ystyried y cymunedau sy’n cael eu heffeithio fel mannau arbennig sydd angen camau mwy radical I stopio’r sefyllfa rhag gwaethygu ac I geisio adfer y gymuned. Mae hyn ei angen ar frys – cyn hir bydd hi’n rhy hwyr I adfer y cymunedau hyn.

Recommendation 5 – the need for policy intervention across a range of policy areas

Policies should be implemented across a range of policy areas, and in the following three fields in particular: direct planning policies, indirect planning policies and taxation policies.

Yn bendant yn y tri maes hwn – ac unrhyw faes arall. Mae’n rhaid I awdurdodau lleol gael y grym I ddatblygu polisiau sy’n addas ar gyfer ardaloedd arbennig. Mae’n rhaid I Llywodraeth Cymru feddu ar yr hawliau I wahaniaethu rhwng siroedd ac ardaloedd o fewn y siroedd. Mae’n rhaid cael ymchwil a gwybodaeth leol iawn I allu gweithredu gwahanol bolisiau.

Mae’n rhaid trwsio’r system trethu cyngor fel bod perchnogion o bell yn cyfrannu’n deg at gostau lleol. Hefyd rhaid trwsio’r system trethu incwm I sicrhau bod perchnogion tai haf ddim yn manteisio’n anheg a gwneud elw fawr oddiar eu incwm.

Recommendation 6 – Local Council Tax Premium

County councils that consider second homes to be a serious social problem should use their taxation powers fully, raising the council tax premium on second homes to 100%.

Rhaid codi treth gyngor llawer uwch ar Dai Haf, OND mae’n rhaid cau’r bwlch sy’n golygu y gall perchnogion gofrestru eu heiddo fel busnes I osgoi talu’r dreth. MAE HYN YN HANFODOL!

Recommendation 7 – Short-term holiday accommodation and business rates

The Welsh Government should consult on the possibility of making short-term holiday accommodation exempt from being eligible for small business rates relief.

Anodd. Dylid ymgynghori’n bendant. Ond ni ddylai busnes tai gwyliau fanteisio’n fwy nac unrhyw fusnes arall.

Recommendation 8 – Land transaction tax

It should be possible to vary the higher rates of the land transaction tax in either counties or local government wards in order to reflect local circumstances. To achieve this:

i. The Welsh Government could delegate to county councils a right to vary the higher rates of the land transaction tax, potentially adding a further rate to the tax of up to 4% of the value of the second property in some parts of Wales.

ii. Or, the Welsh Government could vary the higher rates of the land transaction tax in this manner in specific local government wards heavily affected by the second homes problem.

Mae’n rhaid I hyn fod dan reolaeth cynghorau lleol fel y gallan nhw adnabod yr ardaloedd sy’n  dioddef. Dyw’r broblem ddim yn gyson mewn unrhyw sir na ward, felly rhaid diffinio ardaloedd llai mewn ward sy’n dioddef.

Dim ond mewn un pentref yn fy ward y mae problem. Does dim rhaid cosbi lle nad oes problem.

Recommendation 9 – Gwynedd and Anglesey Councils’ ‘Local Market Housing’ Scheme

Gwynedd and Anglesey Councils should consider extending the ‘Local Market Housing’ policy in the Gwynedd and Anglesey Joint Local Development Plan to other coastal and vulnerable communities in both counties where there is a concentration of second homes alongside an affordability problem. Other planning authorities in Wales should scrutinise the ‘Local Market Housing’ policy to consider whether such a policy might be beneficial for some of their communities. The Welsh Government should consider whether planning guidance should be amended or strengthened in order to support or facilitate the process of extending this or similar policies.

Mae’n rhaid profi bod cynlluniau fel hyn yn gweithio. Mae’n gymhleth I’w weithredu. Yn bendant dylid darganfod dull o amddiffyn nifer o gartrefi mewn ardal ar gyfer y farchnad leol.

Recommendation 10 – the creation of a new use class for short-term holiday accommodation

The Welsh Government should amend the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2016 by introducing a new use class for short- term holiday accommodation.

Yn bendant. Dyma’r unig ffordd I gadw cyfrif o’r tai hyn mewn unrhyw ardal. Ond mae’n rhaid gwneud arolygon o ardaloedd sydd wedi eu heffeithio yn gyntaf er mwyn cadarnhau faint o dai haf sydd yno eisioes. O gyrraedd y cap, ni ddylid rhoi caniatad cynllunio wedyn.

HWN YW’R MATH O WEITHREDU PWYSICAF A’R MATER MWYAF EI FRYS.

Recommendation 11 – trialling a new use class for second homes

The Welsh Government should conduct a trial in a community or cluster of communities severely impacted by second homes, and where there is community support for doing so, to evaluate the feasibility and impact of introducing a new use class for second homes. This would make the conversion of a dwelling house into a second home subject to planning permission when the percentage of second homes in the housing stock of a specified community crosses a particular threshold.

Gweler ymateb 10. BENDANT. Hapus I drafod cynnwys plwyf Llansteffan mewn unrhyw dreial.

Recommendation 12 – establish a Commission to make recommendations regarding the future of the Welsh language as a community language

The Welsh Government should establish a Commission to make recommendations in response to the linguistic challenges facing areas where the Welsh language is currently a community language in the face of likely socio-economic and social restructuring. In particular, the Commission should address the challenges of the post-Brexit and post-Covid environment with the aim of protecting, stabilising and nurturing the future of the Welsh language as a community language in Wales.

Un o effeithiau mwyaf niweidiol Tai Haf yw’r diffyg tai sydd ar gael o fewn cyrraedd teuluoedd ifanc, sy’n golygu nad oes plant yn y pentref. Yn Llansteffan dim ond rhyw 11 o gartrefi allan 227 sydd â phlant dan 12 oed.

Mae dyfodol yr iaith yn nwylo’r ieuenctid – heb bobl ifanc does dim dyfodol I’r iaith na diwylliant lleol, ac mae ein hysgolion bychain dan fygythiad.

MAE HYN YN HOLLBWYSIG.

Hefyd mae’n rhaid sicrhau presenoldeb yr iaith Gymraeg yn ein pentrefi yn y tymor byr. Mewn ychydig o amser bydd yr iaith ddim I’w chlywed yn naturiol o gwmpas y lle.

Un effaith Tai Haf yw bod bobl yn prynu ty fel ty haf tra eu bod mewn oedran gweithio, yna symud I fyw iddo ar ol ymddeol. Mae hyn yn golygu mae mewnddyfodwyr yw’r mwyafrif o brynwyr tai lleol, ac, yn gyfredinnol (yn yr ardal hon), mae’n anodd taro’r neges at rai bod ganddyn nhw oblygiad I wneud ymdrech I barchu’r iaith.

Hapus iawn I gyfrannu ymhellach. Diolch yn fawr,

Carys.

Carys Jones. Cynghorydd Sir dros Ward Llansteffan, Sir Gaerfyrddin.