Jack Davies: Government "dragging their feet" over New Forest housing crisis

Jack Davies, Liberal Democrat candidate for New Forest West at the General Election, has said the Government should honour their commitment to allow New Forest District Council to limit the number of new holiday lets.

The Government’s consultation on introducing a different category of planning use for short-term lets ended in June with a decision still to be made.

Back in October, a Lib Dem MP, Tim Farron, raised the issue on the floor of the House of Commons where the Housing Secretary Michael Gove pledged that the Government would “come forward shortly with our response to those consultations”.

Now Tim Farron has tabled an Early Day Motion to force the Government to honour the commitment they made back in October.

Jack Davies is supporting Tim Farron’s Early Day Motion because the New Forest has seen an explosion in the number of new short-term holiday lets since the pandemic. A limit on the number of short-term holiday lets would allow some of these properties to be used for local families who are on the council's housing waiting list.

The motion urges the Government to proceed with changing planning law in order to “maintain housing stock that is affordable and available for local people, particularly in communities in the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, the West Country, coastal communities and other popular tourist destinations.”

Liberal Democrat candidate for New Forest West, Jack Davies, said:

"The massive surge in the number of short-term holiday lets since the pandemic is making it harder for local families to find somewhere to rent or buy in the local area.

"The Government promised action back in October but they are dragging their feet. 

"Local people need the Government to act now by changing planning law to allow New Forest District Council to limit the number of short-term holiday lets in the New Forest."