FURIOUS locals are so fed up with second-home owners and tourists that they’ve decided to hit back.
Residents in Conwy, Wales, are delighted that their council are deciding to implement double tax on properties belonging to outsiders.
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Out-of-towners who own holiday homes in the area, which includes Llandudno and Abergele, will be slapped with the hefty increase from as early as 2024.
Conwy County Borough Council has also vowed to introduce a 300 per cent premium on properties that are empty for five years or more.
Other Welsh communities, such as Tenby, have already started imposing the premium – with the council adding 100 per cent to council tax bills in 2021.
The latest series of pushbacks follows an uproar amongst seaside villagers.
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Conwy leader Councillor Charlie McCoubrey said the decision on the tax hike would also help with the local economy.
He said: “A lot of the objections are, ‘I spend money in local shops’ – well, I would make the case that I am here 51 weeks a year, as is my family, and I spend that money every single week.
“I think that’s more beneficial than somebody who is here occasionally.”
And as part of the new regime about to be brought in by the Welsh government, holiday lets must be booked out for at least 182 days of the year if owners want to avoid paying the tax.
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It is just another attempt to make people think twice about leaving homes empty for the majority of the year.
It comes as Brits called for the end of people being run out of their hometowns by holidaymakers.
Disgruntled residents in Norfolk recently said a coastline crackdown was needed.
Townspeople voted for an unbroken 30-mile “wall” in a bid to stop the influx of unwelcome visitors and second-home owners.
Villages in the area recently imposed curbs following public votes, such as limiting newbuilds to those using them to live in.
And second homes have already been banned in Sedgeford and Snettisham.
Other referendums in the area have been passed overwhelmingly, with nine in ten locals supporting prohibitions in some cases.
Just 50 per cent need to be in favour for them to be approved.
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If allowed, most of the coastline between Heacham and Blakeney would have clauses written into their Neighbourhood Plans limiting who can buy in the area.
Other rules may include developers having to prove converting homes won’t cause issues such as excessive noise or problems parking.
