I honestly think a lot of the Highlands should operate like Banff National Park in Canada; you can only own property there if you work there, or grew up there. The holiday homes that are empty 90% of the year are just a massive waste and are driving locals out of their own communities.
I know of 3 holiday homes in Newtonmore that have recently been sold to local people as homes. There are still a lot of holiday homes in the village but very few are empty 90% of the year and most of them are owned by local people.
From the snapshot that I have the bulk of Holiday homes in the area are Short Term let’s. That’s just to put into perspective the Shrodinger Holiday home that is both a blight because it is empty and problem neighbour because it tourists.
I did go along and look at the overpriced shit that has been built by Tulloch Homes in Aviemore. Tiny houses and flats that no-one could live in comfortably crammed together with the legal minimum parking and no front gardens. It is so depressing.
As usual though the solution is the same. If you want people on limited income to be able to live in an area you have to be able to provide decent housing and a decent cost, to rent. Don’t subsidise property ownership, because it’s a one off gift rather an investment in the area
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I honestly think a lot of the Highlands should operate like Banff National Park in Canada; you can only own property there if you work there, or grew up there. The holiday homes that are empty 90% of the year are just a massive waste and are driving locals out of their own communities.
I know of 3 holiday homes in Newtonmore that have recently been sold to local people as homes. There are still a lot of holiday homes in the village but very few are empty 90% of the year and most of them are owned by local people.
From the snapshot that I have the bulk of Holiday homes in the area are Short Term let’s. That’s just to put into perspective the Shrodinger Holiday home that is both a blight because it is empty and problem neighbour because it tourists.
I did go along and look at the overpriced shit that has been built by Tulloch Homes in Aviemore. Tiny houses and flats that no-one could live in comfortably crammed together with the legal minimum parking and no front gardens. It is so depressing.
As usual though the solution is the same. If you want people on limited income to be able to live in an area you have to be able to provide decent housing and a decent cost, to rent. Don’t subsidise property ownership, because it’s a one off gift rather an investment in the area