Holiday homes: Causeway Coast and Glens Council calls for planning law change

More people are showing an interest in living on the north coast

A council is calling for a change in planning laws to help control the number of holiday homes on the north coast.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council estimates that up to half of properties in Portballintrae and 31% of houses in Cushendun are second homes.

Its report said the issue is "unregulated and difficult to control".

Councillors have agreed to raise the issue with the Department for Infrastructure.

The local authority wants homeowners to get planning permission before changing a property from a permanent dwelling to a second home.

The Department for Infrastructure said there was no plan to legislate for further regulation.

However a council paper said: "Northern Ireland is lagging behind the approach by other governments in tackling the issue of second homes."

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It estimated there will be 2,700 second homes in the borough by 2030.

"Some consider there to be a direct correlation between the number of second homes and short-term holiday lets to a reduction in the number of homes available within the price range of those looking to get onto the housing market," it said.

'Can't find afforable housing'

Amy Merron, 25, was told in July that her landlord was selling the Portstewart property she had been living in.

She said there was a limited amount of affordable properties in the area that would be big enough for her family to move to.

Amy Merron said a lot of people are moving to Belfast or Londonderry because of the shortage of affordable housing

It is estimated that up to 23% of properties in Portstewart are second homes.

"There's nowhere on the north coast where you can find housing that your wage would be able to pay for," said Ms Merron.

"Me and my partner were trying to save for a deposit to get a house of our own but we had to spend £1,400 on a deposit for a new house and the rent for the month.

"I know a lot of people who have had to move down to Belfast or Derry because they can't find affordable housing here."

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The council report said: "The difficulty of purchasing homes at affordable prices is considered to impact on the ability to retain the younger generation in these areas resulting in older populations, impact on labour resources and declining populations."

The council also said it had "identified issues of loneliness for permanent residents in affected settlements, particularly where the population is older".

However councillors were told that some people believe holiday homes have a positive effect on areas by way of tourism and extra income for properties owned by locals.

The research paper added that there was no evidence that second homes were the sole reason for high property prices.

'No regulation plans'

A Department for Infrastructure said existing planning legislation in Northern Ireland does not seek to regulate second homes.

"To date, a local policy approach has been favoured as the demand for second homes and holiday lets and associated issues are not concerns for all councils," said the department.

It said that councils can prepare their own bespoke local policies to address these issues when preparing local development plans.

"There have been very few calls in recent times to seek further regulation of second homes and holiday lets through legislation.

"The department is aware of legislative approaches elsewhere.

"There are currently no plans for such an approach here and extensive policy development would be required to determine whether similar approaches would be appropriate for the north."