GTom
Well-known member
Pouring too much money in a region certainly does a significant damage to the social climate and the environment.You seem to be under the impression that the Cornish can afford the inflated house prices: they can't, not by a long way. So a price collapse and availability of housing could be a good thing. It would certainly reduce the need for 10's of thousands of new homes that are being built. 4500 just outside Truro.
And the money from those sales doesn't go to the local economy, it goes to the national housebuilders.
What really rankles many here is the second home owner dodge of owning their property through a business, so they then have to pay business rates, but because of small business rate relief they pay zero.
And then to cap it all, during this crisis, the council have paid out hundreds of thousands as they qualified for the small business 10k or 25k grants, paid out to their " businesses " that enjoy small businesses rate relief.
Put yourselves in the shoes of a local - self employed, scraping by serving the 2nd home owners, cleaning, plumbing, chefs at restaurants, waiters etc... who have got nothing from the government or council, are watching their lives crumble, paying rent to up-country landlords (who have got the grant btw) who refuse to allow a payment holiday or reduction in the crisis. How would you feel? Grateful?
You come down here with your London friends, bringing your waitrose food, shopping on the way at some retail park, but seem to have an almost imperial belief that by owning a second home you are supporting the local community and economy. You aren't, you aren't providing footfall to keep the local pub, shop, post office open (but you fool yourself that you are on your weekend away in Cornwall). And you certainly aren't solving any housing problem.
I'm not Cornish btw, I moved here 20 years ago, and created a company that employs many people in proper full time jobs, so I tend to reckon I've done my bit, but self-righteous 2nd home owners, and the attitude you've displayed that we should somehow doff our caps to you sire, sicken me.