Party of Wales Gwynedd Councillors' Group

At full Gwynedd Council recently one of Plaid Cymru's new councillors called for members’ support to push Welsh Government to take urgent action on the results of three housing consultations.

Councillor Rhys Tudur, who represents Llanystumdwy residents on Gwynedd Council, says it is high time the Government put forward concrete proposals within three specific housing areas to try and meet the need for homes for local people.

The Welsh Government closed three consultations at the end of March:

1. legislation and planning policy for second homes and short-term holiday accommodation
2. Welsh speaking community housing scheme
3. local variations to transactional tax rates in second homes

"All three consultations offered significant solutions to the problem of second homes.

"The first creates a specific use class that is an effective tool to cap the number of second homes in areas.

"The second creates a specific land tax on second homes when purchasing the property.

“And the third offers better protection for communities where the majority language of the population is Welsh, by putting in place specific measures, such as, a priority period for local buyers.

"I thank and praise the Government for bringing in commendable proposals to this debate.

"But we are approaching summer, and we have received no word from the Labour Government on the way forward. While we await proposals for publication arising from the inquiries and questions posed by the Government to local people, the housing situation here in Llŷn and Eifionydd is worsening.

"It is time to get clear and definitive Government guidance on what they intend to do to influence the housing market and to control the number of second homes in our communities, so that local people can compete on a more level playing field to rent or buy properties within their localities.”

"That's why I've put this proposal before full council so that a clear message is sent direct to Cardiff from Gwynedd pushing for a quicker response to these issues."

Gwynedd's £77million housing action plan demonstrates Plaid Cymru led Gwynedd Council's priorities on housing local people. Gwynedd Councillors (23 June) passed Councillor Tudur's motion to press the Government to take urgent action on the second homes consultations.