Hundreds turned up to take part in a rally highlighting the housing 'crisis' in Wales. According to Welsh language pressure group, Cymdeithas yr Iaith, over 1,500 people took part in the Nid yw Cymru ar Werth (Wales is Not For Sale) rally in the historic Gwynedd town of Caernarfon on Monday.
The aim of the rally was to send a message to the Minister for Climate Change, Julie James MS, and demand a Property Act which would regulate the property market. From April this year, a change in Welsh Government legislation means that all county councils in Wales are permitted to hike council tax premiums by up to 300% in a bid to tackle the increasing number of second homes and holiday lets in Wales. You can get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free by signing up here.
The government have also changed the rules on holiday lets, meaning that since April, holiday homes that have been let out for more than 70 days a year and previously available to be let out for more than 140, will now have to be let out for more than 182 days and be available for let for upwards of 252 days in order to pay business rates instead of council tax.
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But Cymdeithas yr Iaith have said that more need to be done to ensure that houses remain in the hands of local communities. On the bank holiday weekend of King Charles III's coronation, the pressure group said that they were glad to see so many turn up to the rally.
Jeff Smith, the Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith's Sustainable Communities Group, said: "The Government has promised a Property Act White Paper before the end of this Parliamentary term, but there is no mention of it or the content yet. Although the Government has introduced some limited measures to reduce the impact of second homes and holiday accommodation they have not gone to the root of the problem - and they don't seem to be discussing it.
"We have been calling for a Property Act since the end of the 70s, the need is greater than ever, and now is an opportunity to sort the problem, once and for all - through a Property Act that will regulate the market."
A spokesperson for Cymdeithas yr Iaith's Nid yw Cymru ar Werth campaign added: "The rally will be a complete contrast to the celebration of privilege and wealth that has happened in London over the weekend. In the same way, asking everyone to commit to the future of their communities is in contrast to the request for people to swear an oath to an unelected person.
"We are glad that so many came to the rally today - but it is important that the Minister herself hears today's message so we are asking people across Wales to commit to the future of our communities and send a clear message to Julie James, the Climate Minister, that a complete Property Act is needed by the end of this Parliamentary term."
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