RESIDENTS of a small Yorkshire town have told how their area is being ruined by tourists.
Locals in Pickering say they can’t afford to buy homes because holiday lets are driving up the prices.
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The town, which is known as the “gateway to the moors” is popular with holidaymakers eager to explore all that Yorkshire has to offer.
But as more and more people flock to the area, the demand for accommodation is damaging locals’ chances to get on the property ladder.
Robin Lakin, 82, who has lived in Pickering for 50 years, says it’s a “lovely area” to live.
He told Yorkshire Live: “We’re known as the gateway to the North York Moors, which is a beautiful place, then we have got Whitby and the rest of the coast.
“It has everything you need, supermarkets, small shops, independent shops, shoe shops, lots of cafes, hairdressers, lots of pub. Although the pubs are declining with covid and the cost of living.
“It’s a nice rural, peaceful and calm place to be and with TV you have every facility you want.”
However, he says that the rise in visitors is causing major problems.
Robin explained: “It’s also very popular as a tourist centre, a lot of houses are holiday lets which is a bit of a concern to local people because there isn’t the housing here for people getting on property ladder to buy.
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“This is a huge problem in tourist areas and coastal areas of North Yorkshire.”
It comes after residents living in a seaside town slammed tourists for forcing them out with loud parties and poor parking.
Those who permanently live in Whitstable, Kent, want more regulation to stop the scourge of second homes.
Rubbish litters the roads, cars are parked illegally and tourists generate large amounts of noise as they party and enjoy boozy barbecues late into the night in the summer months.
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