The motives behind this week’s referendum on second homes in the North Yorkshire town of Whitby were summed up by a resident who has lived there since she was a child. “It’s not that we’re against tourism; we’re not,” Sandra Turner told reporters. “But we don’t want to give up our town either.”
Albeit on a low turnout, the ballot delivered a 93% majority in favour of banning the future sale of new-builds to non-locals. Organised by community activists, the vote may or may not be heeded by the borough council. But a message has been sent, and the referendum will have struck a chord in many other scenic locations. Whitby, where house prices rose by 17% last year, is not alone in feeling somewhat besieged. In rural villages and picture-postcard towns, there is a sense that locals are being priced out and social cohesion eroded by a rising tide of outside investment.
