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Stunning UK village now a ghost town as locals slash house prices by £100k

Daily Mirror

an hour ago

Daily Mirror

Stunning UK village now a ghost town as locals slash house prices by £100k

Golant in Cornwall, which is near Fowey where stars like Gordon Ramsay and Dawn French have owned homes, was once a glamorous property hot spot, but is now said to be a 'ghost town' after a tax blitz on second homes Desperate residents in a picturesque UK village are being forced to drastically reduce their property prices after demand for homes nosedived due to a tax crackdown on second properties. A homeowner in Golant, Cornwall, is struggling to sell her waterside cottage even after slashing the price by a staggering £100,000. The village is situated near Fowey, where celebrities such as Gordon Ramsay and Dawn French have previously owned properties. ‌ Debbie Pugh-Jones, 69, reduced the asking price of her home three times in 10 months but failed to secure a buyer. ‌ As reported by The Sun, properties in the vicinity of Golant fetched up to £425,000 during the Covid-19 pandemic. With this in mind, Debbie put her home on the market for £400,000 last August but soon realised her two-bedroom house was now priced similarly to a small flat in a dilapidated part of some cities. READ MORE: 'I'm a property expert - simple mistakes will take thousands off value of your home' The 69 year old claimed that potential buyers have been deterred by the increased stamp duty. She also pointed the finger at Cornwall Council's decision to double tax rates on second homes, which is projected to generate £24million this year, reports the Express. Locals in tourist hotspots like Cornwall argue they can no longer afford homes in their birthplaces as affluent outsiders snap them up but only use them when they fancy a get-away from the city. On the other hand, local businesses argue that the revenue generated from second homeowners is vital for their survival. They also heavily depend on tourism during the bustling summer months. Debbie said: "When you come down that much in price you would expect to get a viewing but I've had three in nearly a year. Nobody at all looked around between November and April. ‌ "Double council tax won't affect the very wealthy but it will affect the middle class people wanting to buy a second home. The community is at risk of changing because some of the second home buyers in this village aren't happy to be paying double council tax. "Around half of the houses in this village are second homes and the rest are retired people, there are very few people working in this village. It's making them struggle but even if they wanted to sell they wouldn't be able to." She continued: "People living here used to work in farms and on the boats but all those industries are gone and the village doesn't have a school, it's not near a bus route and it doesn't have any amenities. I'm not depriving a first time buyer of a place to live because it's not the sort of house that would suit them." ‌ After purchasing her Cornwall home for £240,000 in 2013, Debbie moved to Bath following her mother's death last year. She invested a total of £30,000 in refurbishments during her time there. She explained: "It had always been my dream to retire to the coast. It was the view that attracted me, the river view is nicer than the sea view because it is always changing. I paid a premium for it because I paid for the views but straight away I fell in love with it." ‌ Nick Budd, the publican of The Fisherman's Arms in Golant, acknowledges that second homes are a part of life in the area, adding: "It's a hard one because not all second home owners are the same. You have the holiday lets which are great for us, because when people come on holiday they want to eat out and drink in the pub. "Then you have the lock up and leave its and they are the ones that kill us. The overwhelming outcome of property price rises is young people cannot afford to buy a house in the village and that situation needs addressing." Last year reportedly saw nearly 9,500 properties in Cornwall held as second homes. However, interest in them plummeted after the new tourist tax was introduced on April 1. Bradley Start from Start & Co Estate Agents in Newquay noted: "They've received these demands for twice as much council tax and that's prompted a lot of people to think about selling."

British father-to-be feels like ‘second class citizen' over family visa rules

Rhyl Journal

5 hours ago

Rhyl Journal

British father-to-be feels like ‘second class citizen' over family visa rules

David Todd, 33, is calling on the Government to reform the policy, including to scrap or lower the minimum income requirement (MIR) for British citizens to bring their partners to the country, as ministers mull over updating the visa route. His plea comes as charities Reunite Families UK and Coram published reports on Monday documenting the 'significant emotional and psychological harm' to families from the policy, particularly for children who grow up under long separation from one of their parents. Mr Todd had hoped to move back to the UK from Germany with his American wife, Claire Todd, 32, before the birth of their first baby which is due in October. But the couple are facing being split up for Mr Todd to return to the UK alone to build up enough income proof as the British citizen in the relationship, or raise savings of more than £88,500 dictated by the visa rules to allow them to return as a family. Mr Todd told the PA news agency: 'There's been lots of times where I've stayed awake at night worrying about it and how it's all going to work out, because you feel completely helpless. 'It's like we're second class citizens because we married someone who fell in love with someone who wasn't British.' Earlier this month the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) set out its recommendations after a review requested by the Home Secretary to look at how to set an MIR for family visas that balances economic wellbeing and family life. It warned against raising the threshold for family visas to the same level for skilled workers, as planned by the previous government. Skilled workers are only eligible to come to the UK if they earn a salary of £38,700 or more, compared to £29,000 required mainly for family visas. The UK's current £29,000 threshold, which was set in 2024, is high compared to other high-income countries reviewed by the MAC. It was previously set at £18,600 since 2012. Mr Todd, from Solihull, West Midlands, added increasing the level to £38,700 would be 'devastating'. 'Even with this MAC report now, we don't know what the Government's going to do, how they're going to react,' the classical music conductor said. 'It's this feeling that you're kind of helpless, you're stuck in limbo, and you're desperately trying to contort yourself into this position where you can make it work just because you want to live with your wife or husband.' The couple, living in Wurzburg, Germany, first left the UK after Ms Todd's student visa ended and moved to the European nation so they could be together seven years ago. After building 'good careers' as classical musicians on the continent, the couple began trying to make a return to the UK up to a year ago, wanting to be near family as they start their own. For Mr Todd, he said the Government should at least make the ways to prove income easier, and to include the spouse's salary to contribute to the income threshold. He said it is 'ridiculous' his wife's income cannot be used to meet the salary requirement despite her remote job as a content creator paying enough to mean they 'could move to the UK tomorrow'. Mr Todd said he wants to 'avoid at all costs' the prospect of being separated from his wife and child, adding: 'It just feels wrong, am I going to have to turn to my child when she's older and say to her: 'Well, sorry, the reason I wasn't with you for the first year of your life was because I was trying to get work for the family to move.'' British father Ed Moon, currently living in Taipei with his Taiwanese wife Amber Moon and four-year-old daughter Maya, is also applying to the family visa route to move back to the UK as Maya reaches school age. He told PA the most difficult thing is the 'extremely extensive' documentation you need to provide with any errors meaning the visa is denied and the process must be started again, with visa fees costing around £2,000. 'We're having to dip into every ounce of our savings to do this,' the 36-year-old from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, said. 'You feel just unwanted by your country essentially. It's been especially tough, really like from a personal perspective.' The journalist also said it is a waste of money for the taxpayer for him to grow up and be educated in the UK, to then not let him and his family live there, adding: 'I want to be able to contribute to the UK.' The research by Reunite Families and Coram found that British citizens face exile, increased financial pressure and separation from their partners often for long periods of time from the family visa policy. For children separated from one of their parents, the charities warned they can face life-changing trauma and distress. The report also highlighted how the rules particularly discriminate against those including British mothers, who are more likely to experience hardship, working class and low income partners and black and ethnic minority workers, who are more likely to earn less than their white counterparts. Reunite Families UK executive director Caroline Coombs said 'simple and practical changes' from the Home Office could make significant differences to families, starting with scrapping the MIR and simplifying the rules and application process to stop the need for expensive legal advice. 'These rules have become the tax on love. People are suffering and want to be heard.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We understand the minimum income requirement for family visas needs to balance a respect for family life while also maintaining the UK's economic stability, which is why the Home Secretary commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee to undertake a review. 'We are now considering its findings and will respond in due course.'

South Wales Guardian

9 hours ago

South Wales Guardian

British father-to-be feels like ‘second class citizen' over family visa rules

David Todd, 33, is calling on the Government to reform the policy, including to scrap or lower the minimum income requirement (MIR) for British citizens to bring their partners to the country, as ministers mull over updating the visa route. His plea comes as charities Reunite Families UK and Coram published reports on Monday documenting the 'significant emotional and psychological harm' to families from the policy, particularly for children who grow up under long separation from one of their parents. Mr Todd had hoped to move back to the UK from Germany with his American wife, Claire Todd, 32, before the birth of their first baby which is due in October. But the couple are facing being split up for Mr Todd to return to the UK alone to build up enough income proof as the British citizen in the relationship, or raise savings of more than £88,500 dictated by the visa rules to allow them to return as a family. Mr Todd told the PA news agency: 'There's been lots of times where I've stayed awake at night worrying about it and how it's all going to work out, because you feel completely helpless. 'It's like we're second class citizens because we married someone who fell in love with someone who wasn't British.' Earlier this month the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) set out its recommendations after a review requested by the Home Secretary to look at how to set an MIR for family visas that balances economic wellbeing and family life. It warned against raising the threshold for family visas to the same level for skilled workers, as planned by the previous government. Skilled workers are only eligible to come to the UK if they earn a salary of £38,700 or more, compared to £29,000 required mainly for family visas. The UK's current £29,000 threshold, which was set in 2024, is high compared to other high-income countries reviewed by the MAC. It was previously set at £18,600 since 2012. Mr Todd, from Solihull, West Midlands, added increasing the level to £38,700 would be 'devastating'. 'Even with this MAC report now, we don't know what the Government's going to do, how they're going to react,' the classical music conductor said. 'It's this feeling that you're kind of helpless, you're stuck in limbo, and you're desperately trying to contort yourself into this position where you can make it work just because you want to live with your wife or husband.' The couple, living in Wurzburg, Germany, first left the UK after Ms Todd's student visa ended and moved to the European nation so they could be together seven years ago. After building 'good careers' as classical musicians on the continent, the couple began trying to make a return to the UK up to a year ago, wanting to be near family as they start their own. For Mr Todd, he said the Government should at least make the ways to prove income easier, and to include the spouse's salary to contribute to the income threshold. He said it is 'ridiculous' his wife's income cannot be used to meet the salary requirement despite her remote job as a content creator paying enough to mean they 'could move to the UK tomorrow'. Mr Todd said he wants to 'avoid at all costs' the prospect of being separated from his wife and child, adding: 'It just feels wrong, am I going to have to turn to my child when she's older and say to her: 'Well, sorry, the reason I wasn't with you for the first year of your life was because I was trying to get work for the family to move.'' British father Ed Moon, currently living in Taipei with his Taiwanese wife Amber Moon and four-year-old daughter Maya, is also applying to the family visa route to move back to the UK as Maya reaches school age. He told PA the most difficult thing is the 'extremely extensive' documentation you need to provide with any errors meaning the visa is denied and the process must be started again, with visa fees costing around £2,000. 'We're having to dip into every ounce of our savings to do this,' the 36-year-old from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, said. 'You feel just unwanted by your country essentially. It's been especially tough, really like from a personal perspective.' The journalist also said it is a waste of money for the taxpayer for him to grow up and be educated in the UK, to then not let him and his family live there, adding: 'I want to be able to contribute to the UK.' The research by Reunite Families and Coram found that British citizens face exile, increased financial pressure and separation from their partners often for long periods of time from the family visa policy. For children separated from one of their parents, the charities warned they can face life-changing trauma and distress. The report also highlighted how the rules particularly discriminate against those including British mothers, who are more likely to experience hardship, working class and low income partners and black and ethnic minority workers, who are more likely to earn less than their white counterparts. Reunite Families UK executive director Caroline Coombs said 'simple and practical changes' from the Home Office could make significant differences to families, starting with scrapping the MIR and simplifying the rules and application process to stop the need for expensive legal advice. 'These rules have become the tax on love. People are suffering and want to be heard.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We understand the minimum income requirement for family visas needs to balance a respect for family life while also maintaining the UK's economic stability, which is why the Home Secretary commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee to undertake a review. 'We are now considering its findings and will respond in due course.'

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Stunning UK village now a ghost town as locals slash house prices by £100k

British father-to-be feels like ‘second class citizen' over family visa rules

British father-to-be feels like ‘second class citizen' over family visa rules

DIY giant B&Q apologises for listing bathroom cabinet as easy to assemble ‘even if you are a girl'

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Stunning UK village now a ghost town as locals slash house prices by £100k

British father-to-be feels like ‘second class citizen' over family visa rules

British father-to-be feels like ‘second class citizen' over family visa rules

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