Our beauty spot village is ‘under siege’ from 100s of Airbnb tourists… now we’re getting revenge
RESIDENTS who live in beauty spot village which is “under siege” from hundreds of Airbnb tourists are now taking revenge.
Disgruntled locals in Grassington have welcomed plans to ban second home owners from snapping up new properties in the Yorkshire Dales village.
Grassington has seen a surge in visitors since starring as the fictional town of Darrowby in Channel 5’s ‘All Creatures Great & Small’.
However, one in five properties in the Yorkshire Dales is not a permanent residency and locals struggle to find a place to live.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park hopes to build 50 new homes every year in the picturesque landscape until 2040 to cater for demand, but wants to prevent outsiders and investors from purchasing the new builds.
Holiday lets or second homes account for 22 percent of all dwellings in the National Park, compared to the empty homes average of 6 per cent for England.
Building of affordable homes for locals is hoped to reverse a long term population loss.
Mark Kirkpatrick, 70, has lives in Grassington for 12 years, and has seen visitor numbers swell since the Channel 5 show ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ began screening in 2020.
He exclusively told The Sun: “There are more and more tourists coming and many want and need somewhere to stay.
“I think there are too many houses already and I would prefer fewer new houses being built than are being proposed. Second home owners is the big issue.
“North Yorkshire County Council and the Yorkshire Dales National Park need to make sure second home owners do not get the new homes.
“The situation of houses being bought as second homes is worse in other areas of the Yorkshire Dales, such as Kettlewell.
“But, if people have enough money, you can’t stop them buying around here, but all you can really do is make it expensive for them, maybe double the council tax, and put that money into helping locals get homes.”
Builder Stanley Rawden, 67, was visiting Grassington from his home near Skegness, Lincolnshire.
Stanley said: “As a builder, I’m all for building new homes, but they have got to be for the locals.
“In my home village the young people have to move out to afford a place to live, and I don’t want that to be happening here.”
“We come here to Grassington every year for New Year, and we love the place,” said Stanley loading a suitcase into his car.
“We have stayed in a three bedroom house here, and we are aware that property is a place that locals can’t live in.
“I feel for the young people not being able to afford a home where they live – it’s a real problem.
“It would be great if the National Park can find a way for the locals to get the new houses.”
Mum of three Chris Adamson, 63, was visiting Grassington from Leeds, West Yorkshire.
Chris said: “I think the National Park banning second home owners is a good policy.
“I have seen quite a lot about people who are local not being able to buy houses, and it seems unfair.
“A figure of 22 per cent of houses not properly occupied is a ridiculously high number.”
‘OVERCROWDED’
Texan Lisa Frost, 57, retired to Grassington with her Brit husband six years ago.
Walking her Norwich Terrier, the retired industrial chemical sales Lisa said: “I think that everybody local should be able to have a home here.
“I do know that there are other Dales villages out there that tip over into having so many holiday homes that they can’t sustain business because there are not enough permanent residents.
“I am leaning to the side of the permanent home owners.
“I love it here. It is beautiful. I understand why people want to come here.
“It is wonderful that people want to come here, and we want to share it, but some days it is a little too overcrowded. But, what are you going to do? Everybody wants to be here.
“Since All Creatures Great and Small came on TV it seems like tourism in the village has risen by about 25 per cent.”
Sophie Davies, 35, a deputy head at a special educational needs school in Hertfordshire, was visiting her parents.
“My parents are one of the contributors to this problem, because they have a holiday home here,” admitted Sophie.
“I’d like to say they are up here in Yorkshire probably more than they are back home in Hertfordshire, and they contribute up here as much as they can.
“The local authorities need to build more houses for the young locals, because it is such an amazing community in Grassington and there is so much going on.
“If they are going to lose the younger generation then how is that going to continue?
“My parents are conscious that they are living in a place where many local young people can’t afford to live.
“My parents are not against a second home tax or whatever, and nor am I. Those locals who need to get on the housing ladder need support.”
Guest house owner David Atkinson, 50, has run Craiglands B&B since he gave up teaching five years ago.
David said: “A ban on second home owners would increase my business I reckon.
“If people want to visit the Yorkshire Dales and don’t have a second home to stop in then they are going to look for a B&B, but that is on a purely selfish basis.
“As far as building new homes, I think they have got to have the infrastructure in place – schools, doctors, etc. The roads are not up to scratch.
“The amount of traffic that comes this way sometime is ridiculous.
“It is great that the younger people might be able to get their foot on the housing ladder, but I would imagine that the older generation will not be happy about more houses being built in this beautiful countryside.”