Local authorities across the South West will have to ‘be bold’ in setting the tax they demand from people who buy second homes in the area, councillors have been told, writes Guy Henderson.

The proliferation of second homes and holiday lets in popular areas such as Teignbridge, the South Hams and Dartmoor is adding to the pressure on councils to provide more affordable homes for local people.

A number of councils have already voted to charge second home owners double the normal rate of council tax to help fund local services.

But members of the Teignbridge overview and scrutiny committee heard that more action could be needed to enable local people to find homes in their communities.

Cllr Sally Morgan (Lib Dem, Bovey) also serves on the Dartmoor National Park Authority, and delivered her regular report on its work.

On housing, she said the authority was ‘torn’ between looking after the landscape and providing homes.

“We recognise the need for affordable homes,” she said. “It is incredibly expensive to live on Dartmoor. There seems to be a premium to the name. If you want to charge 25 per cent more for your product, put the name ‘Dartmoor’ in front of it, and the same goes for houses.”

She said the pressure created by second homes and holiday lets made it difficult for people to farm on the moor. It could be hard to recruit staff, with workers unable to afford to live locally and having to commute from Newton Abbot or Teignmouth.

“It’s a conundrum,” said Cllr Morgan. “To some extent we have to be bold about how we charge council tax on holiday lets and second homes, and that’s a discussion we have to have across the south west, not just on Dartmoor.

“It’s a constant balance of community, farming and environment.”

Cllr Morgan also raised the alarm over budget pressures on the national park, which receives most of its funding from central government.

“Our reserves are there for a rainy day, and everyone has agreed that it’s tipping down,” she said. “We are not the only park in that situation.

“We can’t afford to be cut any more. We are down to the bone.”