If, like me, you grew up in a certain part of north-east England, the North Yorkshire coast felt like the nearest “exotic” destination for a summer holiday. The idea is not so fanciful as it sounds. In fact, in recent years comparisons between this part of the country and foreign expat hotspots like the Costa del Sol have begun to look more and more apt, not least due to the warming climate.
But all is not well in this picturesque corner of England. Last month, residents of the seaside town of Whitby – in effect the capital of the Yorkshire tourist trade – voted overwhelmingly in favour of making all new-build homes in the town full-time primary residences. The parish-level vote was, as the Scarborough borough council website drily notes, “no more and no less than an expression of the views of the electorate”. But while the result is not binding, it shows that Whitby locals are increasingly feeling the burn of the “frenzy” for second homes in British coastal areas.
