THE UK SEASIDE VILLAGE HIT BY TOURISM BOOM THAT'S 'PUSHING YOUNG FAMILIES OUT'

The iconic seaside village of Robin Hood's Bay in Yorkshire is reported to be in crisis following a surge in demand for holiday homes.

Over the past few years, properties along the picturesque Yorkshire Coast have become extremely popular, often snapped up by buyers looking for second homes by the coast or holiday rentals. This trend has caused a substantial rise in local house prices, making it difficult for local youngsters to get their foot on the property ladder.

As long-time residents witness the changes in their beloved village, it is believed that in some parts as few as five homes are still owned by residents, with fresh property listings snapped up in just hours by out-of-town buyers.

During the peak months, the upper part of the village sees an influx of cars and people. However, the entire village feels the impact of these issues.

One local woman, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke to Yorkshire Live on a particularly dreary day during a visit last year. She expressed her concerns about the housing situation, stating it was "killing" Robin Hood's Bay.

She said: "Everyone who owns a business wants it to be a tourist spot but everyone who doesn't own a business doesn't want that. It's made house prices ridiculous and there's now no young families and no children."

As a long-time resident of a quaint village since the 1960s she laments its transformation, comparing it to "Beamish", a living museum in Durham that recreates life in historical Northern England.

She pointed out the friction between locals and those benefiting from tourism, saying: "It's wrong to say because we're all tourists wherever you go, so you've got to be accommodating. But if you come again in a few weeks you'll see how the tourists are parked across everyone's drive and the ambulances can't come round. There's two sides to it.

"But tourism is the train you can't stop. It's beautiful and it's lovely here and we're not knocking tourism because a lot of people depend on it but not everyone does. And that's what's sad."

The woman disclosed that currently, there's a roughly 70 to 30 ratio of holiday homes to local residents. "It's heart-breaking," she confessed. "I love it otherwise I wouldn't live here but there's been a big change in the last two years."

Speaking about the local housing market she said "If you're not fast enough you can't buy a house and if you're a young couple you won't earn enough money. How are you going to be able to get a mortgage for a £350,000 little three-bedroom house?"

Local businesswoman Katie Wallis also expressed her difficulties in finding accommodation. Speaking from her boyfriend's mum's sweet shop in the village, she described the housing situation as "an absolute nightmare".

She shed light on the current housing situation: "Everything's just gone rocket high. For people like me and my boyfriend - trying to get our first property is ridiculous. Even renting is hard - a flat in Whitby the size of this shop will cost you £600 a month."

She gave her insights into the local housing developments in Whitby, whilst expressing her concerns about tourism: "It's hard for me because I want them to come here but at the same time I do want to live here. I think there's enough holiday cottages and I don't think you can have more people."

She commented on how the exponential rise in visitors is affecting the residents: "The problem is there's becoming so few locals now there's hardly enough people to help run the shops and restaurants. I think it's just at its capacity - there's too many tourists to locals ratio. Which is good but tiring as well."

Local resident Becca Oliver, who has spent her life in the area and works at The Old Drapery, reflected on the changes in the housing market. She recalled purchasing her home eight years ago for £225,000 and was shocked to see a similar property recently go for £420,000.

Speaking on the situation she remarked: "I think housings quite a contentious issue in the village, isn't it? In the last few years, I can't see how local families can afford properties around here because the prices are so high and people from London or wherever can afford it but local people can't."

"It's pushing people out and it's worrying in terms of the school and things like that. Are we going to lose those sort of things?"

She discussed the tricky balance between welcoming tourists and preserving local community culture, stating: "It's finding that balance. I'm not slating holidaymakers because we need them and we love having them but it's about finding that balance for both. We have a great community with lovely people and we don't want to lose that."

When asked if this balance is currently achieved, she conceded: "No, it's not quite right."

She also pointed out that properties in the lower part of the village are less desirable due to practicality issues, adding with a touch of humour: "Carrying your Aldi shopping bags down the hill isn't the easiest either."

2024-08-19T12:53:36Z dg43tfdfdgfd