Author: Rachael Brooks
Are You A Second Home Owner in Ventnor?
Thursday, 29th July, 2010 at 1:48 pm, Isle of Wight
Accommodation, Tourism, Ventnor
Regular visitor to the Island, James Neville, is appealing for help from VB readers (who are second home owners) with his geography degree dissertation.
James is studying Geography at University of Plymouth has chosen the subject of second homeownership in Ventnor, for his dissertation.
He has been gathering feedback from second home owners in Ventnor through various sources so far, such as the Library, but now has an online survey and hopes that VB readers may be able to take a short amount of time help.
Why Ventnor?
James tells us that he’s chosen Ventnor for his research because much of the previous research on the matter has focused on Cornwall and South Wales. He’s interested to see whether the Island setting would make any difference, as well as the different policies that our local council have chosen with regards to the matter.
If you are a second home owner living in Ventnor and can spare five minutes to complete the questionnaire, James would be very grateful.
Complete the survey online.
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If you are local to the island, please feel free to leave any comments you may have with regards to second homeowners.
Do you feel they overall have a positive or negative impact on the local community?
Thanks!
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My neighbours are 2nd home owners and they’re never here Ive never seen their lights on since they moved in about a year ago. Does the council actually do anything about it because I reckon it will be a big problem If more of them move in!!
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Good luck James. I don’t know any second home owners but it would be interesting if you could send your dissertation to VentnogBlog when it’s done: or a summary of main findings may be enough.
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If you own two homes – one here and one on the mainland, but your local authority on the mainland offers you a greater council tax discount for your main home – If it is classified as a second home , what would you do? Can we trust the figures based on the council tax classifications? If you buy a second home as an investment, have some people classified this home as their main residence to also try and avoid capital gains tax if it was sold. Does any one ever check when someone classifies their property as a second home that their other properties are not classified the same – Do local authorities communicate?
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Thanks jack, I’d be happy to provide everyone with my findings, it will be a few months yet though I’m afraid.
My research is not entirely focused on the views of second homeowners, I am also interested in the views of locals. What are your personal views on second homeowners in Ventnor?
Thanks
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I think I will wait until I see your research evidence, James. Then I might have an informed opinion.
BTW, I used to be a unversity lecturer so I get a bit fussy about research methodology. I’m looking forward to seeing yours though.
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In reply to ‘ventnor’s’ question, that poses a very interesting point and one which I don’t know the answer to.
I am currently in corespondence with councillor George Brown of the county council and I will ask him to find out if they do check with other councils on the mainland.
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We had a house on Spain. The town was deserted for the entire year except August when Spain takes it’s annual holiday. It’s different here though. We have more people per square mile so property is seldom left empty. Anyone who leaves his two bed house empty for most of the year is getting burned on all sides, losing five or six grand in rent pay one in council tax and another grand in maintenance. If people want to buy our property and chuck money away let them. It’s all cash coming on so must be classified as net export. Let the market decide. It’s cheap and sorts the clever from the plonkers for free without an overpaid over pensioned civil servant in sight.
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An interesting viewpoint peter, but even though the second homeowners put money into the local economy through the sources you mentioned, do you still think this overall has a positive impact on the local community?
It is often easy to overlook the other kinds of effects that second homeownership causes to an area such as impacts on the community and the impacts on the environment.
There are links suggested that the higher percentage of second homes an area has, then the weaker the community spirit is, there are threats to local services and there tends to be problems amongst local businesses.
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