The beautiful seaside town where ‘only 1 in 3 homes are actually lived in’

The second home market in the UK has been put under increasing scrutiny amid the cost-of-living crisis and housing market trouble – but it continues to cause problems around the country and especially in desirable coastal areas.

Southwold in East Suffolk, dubbed Chelsea-on-Sea for its influx of Londoners seeking a seaside break, fits the bill to a tee, but one councillor thinks the number of second homes in the town is commonly underestimated – and is close to two in every three properties.

David Beaven, Independent cabinet member for housing on the Green, Liberal Democrat and Independent-led local authority, said the intrusion of second home owners was “killing the community”.

“Only 1 in 3 houses in Southwold are actually lived in,” he told the Eastern Daily Press. “Roughly speaking, a third are lived in, a third are holiday homes and a third are second homes lived in part of the year.”

Mr Beaven suggested that many of the properties were lying empty year-round after “a pretty poor season for holiday lets”, forcing owners to discover that “the tax advantages of second homes are not what they were”.

But it also leaves hundreds without temporary accommodation each year, he added.

“We’re so desperate for temporary accommodation and we’re having to put people outside of East Suffolk at the same time as we’ve got these houses sitting empty.”

It’s far from being a new problem – a 2015 census showed that only 43% of its 1400 dwellings were filled by full-time residents.

Measures have been introduced in recent years to stem the flow of second home owners including the development of a neighbourhood plan with a “principal resident requirement” in 2022.

“Without a thriving full time community, Southwold will lose many of the things that make it a place people want to visit and spend their holidays,” the plan stated.

The latest bid to tackle the issue will see council tax bills double for second home owners in East Suffolk in 2025 – a premium also set to be enforced in Cornwall and North Yorkshire from next April.

It could generate up to £8 million for the council, which a spokesperson said would “significantly add” to its income stream.

“We want to put more homes back on the market – and ensure that those who choose to own second homes make a higher contribution to local services at a time when they are under pressure,” Jessie Carter, a Green Party councillor in Babergh told the BBC.

Southwold has a reputation for being one of the UK’s poshest seaside towns, with its council famously blocking attempts from chain businesses including Costa to open in the area in favour of independent shops and cafes.

It is also known for its beautiful 17th century lighthouse, which rotates a 150-watt lamp around a range of 24 nautical miles as well as its colourful beach huts and great expanse of sandy shore.