The British seaside towns holding referendums to ban holiday homes
Another Cornish seaside town is gearing up to introduce restrictions that will limit the sale of holiday homes.
Fowey residents – where more than a third of the properties there are second homes – are being urged to back a plan which will give them more control of its development.
They will vote in a referendum which could result in the proposal becoming part of Cornwall Council's local development plan. This would mean it had be considered in regards to any planning applications in the area.
Fowey would be following St Ives, which recently became one of the first places in Britain to ban using new-builds as holiday homes. However, Cornwall Council is now being challenged over its decision to hold a referendum, and could face a judicial review.
Ruth Finlay, Fowey's mayor, said: "St Ives has really put this issue on the map and it is an area we really need to look at."
"It is not about existing homes, it is about retaining new build, affordable homes for young people and families with a local connection, and I don't think anyone would disagree with that.
"It was in our survey [of local residents] and was supported by the majority of people who filled out the questionnaire so it will certainly be a part of our draft proposal for the neighbourhood plan."
Read more: These are the most popular destinations for a British summer holiday
Fowey town and county councillor David Hughes urged as many residents as possible to take part.
"When a planning application comes in, your town council can comment on it, which is taken into consideration but it doesn't carry a lot of weight in planning terms whereas a neighbourhood plan has serious planning weight," Hughes said.
"If you want to stop planning application — or push through a planning application — against the grain, if you have a neighbourhood plan that covers it then you have a good chance of succeeding."