Holiday park – conundrums!

The proposed holiday park raises a set of further questions following on from yesterdays issues.

It seems the average spend in the local economy would be £75 per visitor – that does not seem to be a lot, especially considering the negative impacts of the proposal.

We imagine that potential employees are probably already working in the sector. Which means the new employees would consist largely of people moving to Cornwall. Why would that be good for Cornwall?

And, if more people move to Cornwall they will have to be housed?

Ah that’s where all the new housing at Newquay comes in!

But if we are talking about a lot of seasonal and part-time jobs – the employees will not be buying houses will they?

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And you thought we had enough tourism traffic?

A pre-application has been submitted for a holiday park outside Newquay. [Extracts from the documents below]

Is it a good idea?

Not really.

Its using up land currently in agricultural use with some woodland – we need land for food!

It would attract an estimated 200,000 visitors each year – but Cornwall already has too many visitors!

Traffic – recent data from the Cornwall Visitor survey showed that 88% of visitors to Cornwall travel by car. We can expect a lot more traffic in Cornwall due to this proposal. [Anyone heard of the urgency of climate breakdown?].

Jobs – tourism related jobs are largely seasonal and part-time and not that well paid. Does Cornwall need more of these jobs?

Oh and by the way, the public cannot comment on the proposal on the planning site as pre-adds are for information only.

PA19/00960/PREAPP Pre-application advice for holiday park comprising 950 units (900 static caravans, 50 permanent units), central facilities including food and beverage, water experience and leisure activities, open space and associated works. Land Surrounding Bejowan Farm Quintrell Downs Cornwall TR8 4PA

50 hectares of land (124 acres)

200,000 visitors per annum, generating an expenditure of about £15 million per annum in the local economy

It is anticipated that the proposed development will create 45 full time positions and 280 part time/seasonal positions.

950 units (900 static caravans, 50 permanent units)

The site itself is level at its western end, sloping steeply to the north and more gently to the east. The western part of the site is farmed for arable crops, while the eastern end comprises a deciduous and broadleaf woodland and pasture land. A watercourse defines the north eastern edge of the site.

In terms of accessibility, the site is located close to the principal vehicular routes into Newquay. Indeed, the Council are promoting the link to Newquay from the A30 at Victoria via St Columb as strategic route linking up with the aero hub and Nansledan / NSR. The proposal is therefore in accord with emerging strategic highway objectives.

New homes for local people available in Cornwall?

Yes new houses available in Cornwall.

These are all part of the 3,000 new properties built in Cornwall each year.

They are all at the luxury end of the market – designed for investors, second home owners and those affluent enough to move to Cornwall to live in luxury housing.

They have nothing to do with local need, so why do they get permission?

Trelyon Avenue, St. Ives. 5 town houses – with the latest for sale at £750,000

Belliers Close, St. Ives. 12 properties. Detached house available for £675,000.

St. Ives. 13 apartments., about £375,000.

Monowai apartments, St. Ives. £725,000.

Castle Approach, St. Ives. 12 properties. £715,000.

Isle of Arran – too many holiday homes!

A group on the Isle of Arran want to build more houses to deal with a housing crisis arising from the high proportion of houses used for holiday homes. But that is not really the answer is it?

Better to stop houses being transferred to the holiday let sector in the first place!

Campaigners on the Isle of Arran have called for help to cope with a housing crisis that has left hundreds of people without permanent homes.

The Arran Economic Group (AEG) hopes to be the first community organisation in Scotland to use government funds to build dozens of affordable homes aimed at local workers, which will be given out based on economic rather than social need.

The group, made up of local business people and community activists, believes houses on the island are among the least affordable in the UK. Arran’s average annual wage is £24,000, but average house prices are eight to 10 times that, giving it an affordability ratio nearly as bad as in London.

The problem has been exacerbated by the number of properties used for tourists or bought by retirees, who take up a significant number of homes on the island, pushing up prices and resulting in shortages of homes to rent.

An investigation by the Guardian has found that 23% of the houses on Arran are used for holiday homes or second homes. This is one of the highest rates in the UK, and is thought to be second only to St Ives in Cornwall where a quarter of properties are holiday homes.

Data from North Ayrshire council, the island’s local authority, shows that in some villages nearly 40% of homes have been bought for holiday use, while in Sliddery, on the south end of Arran, nearly half of its 73 properties are holiday homes.

That has meant hundreds of workers on the island, including hotel staff, shop workers, apprentices, teachers, social care workers and even some business owners, are unable to find homes to buy or rent because prices are too high and there is a shortage of properties.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/apr/22/housing-crisis-on-arran-leaves-hundreds-of-islanders-without-homes

Looking for a house in Cornwall?

What have we learnt this week?

Over the 2010-30 period, covered by the ‘local’ plan:

Cornwall is on target to build 57,000 houses

Official statistics give an estimate of an extra 38,000 households between 2010 2030, therefore 38,000 new houses over the period

There are currently 28,000 holiday lets in Cornwall (plus a number of second homes)

Household growth in Cornwall is largely due to more people moving to Cornwall than leaving, we are not building houses to meet local need or demand

Without this factor the population of Cornwall would fall, leaving a surplus of 3,000 dwellings

So why are more than enough houses being built? What is the point?

An housing advert – how many houses being built and how many needed in Cornwall?

What have we learnt this week?

Over the 2010-30 period, covered by the ‘local’ plan:

Cornwall is on target to build 57,000 houses

Official statistics give an estimate of an extra 38,000 households between 2010 2030, therefore 38,000 new houses over the period

There are currently 28,000 holiday lets in Cornwall (plus a number of second homes)

Household growth in Cornwall is largely due to more people moving to Cornwall than leaving, we are not building houses to meet local need or demand

Without this factor the population of Cornwall would fall, leaving a surplus of 3,000 dwellings

So why are more than enough houses being built? What is the point?

More road traffic – what a surprise!

We never learn do we?

Each year we get the same behaviour – millions of people getting in their cars to travel around the UK.

Lots more congestion, lots more pollution.

Time to change!

Drivers are being warned of congestion from Thursday afternoon as millions of cars take to the roads for the Easter bank holiday. The RAC and traffic data company Inrix expect jams to be at their worst on Good Friday, particularly between 11:00 and 16:30 BST. They predict the M5 southbound, west of Bristol between Junction 16 and Junction 19, to be congested as drivers head for Devon and Cornwall.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-47894352