When a seaside town becomes too popular...

[Saphire]

...the locals who have lived there for generations can't afford to live there.

"The Cornish seaside town of St Ives has been turned into a 'theme park' after being swamped by tourists with locals being evicted to free up Airbnb rentals, it emerged today.

Homes for sale in the town, especially those on the harbourside, now range between £700,000 and £1million, with the average price now at £440,000, more than 17 times the average salary of Cornwall's year-round residents.

Families who have lived in St Ives for generations are being forced out as millionaires bank up land or homes, renting them out for up to £7,000-a-week.

'At times, people in the town feel that they are just operatives in a theme park,' said Stefan Harkon, a St Ives RNLI lifeguard for many years, adding: 'We work in an area but we can't live in it."

 

[Saphire]

The same thing happened in parts of Wales years ago, locals had to move out because second home buyers, and grabbing landlords, were buying everything up and selling or renting out at vastly inflated prices.

St Ives is a beautiful place, we holidayed in the area a lot when we were younger. It was beautifully quaint, old-fashioned, artistic, often quiet.
I doubt it has the same vibe now.

It's sad when you revisit a place you once knew, and it has changed beyond recognition.
Even sadder for the people who have lived and worked there all their lives...and have to move out because of 'progress'.

 

[Moriarty]

The same thing happened in parts of Wales years ago, locals had to move out because second home buyers, and grabbing landlords, were buying everything up and selling or renting out at vastly inflated prices.

St Ives is a beautiful place, we holidayed in the area a lot when we were younger. It was beautifully quaint, old-fashioned, artistic, often quiet.
I doubt it has the same vibe now.

It's sad when you revisit a place you once knew, and it has changed beyond recognition.
Even sadder for the people who have lived and worked there all their lives...and have to move out because of 'progress'.

There are various villages around the UK where local councils wont shore up the coastal defences to protect the homeowners from "Climate Change".

Hence they cant get insurance so they are selling up and moving out.

Guess what happens to those properties, now having feck all value, they are getting snapped up by at rock bottom prices.

Bet the new sea walls wont be built by the companies buying those homes, they will just level the lot and create seaside tourist areas with lovely beaches.

Sea rise my ass, 1.8mm a year for over a century.

 

[Altair]

The same thing happened in parts of Wales years ago, locals had to move out because second home buyers, and grabbing landlords, were buying everything up and selling or renting out at vastly inflated prices.

St Ives is a beautiful place, we holidayed in the area a lot when we were younger. It was beautifully quaint, old-fashioned, artistic, often quiet.
I doubt it has the same vibe now.

It's sad when you revisit a place you once knew, and it has changed beyond recognition.
Even sadder for the people who have lived and worked there all their lives...and have to move out because of 'progress'.

We ride like fools on an endless single line.. Changing the make Up of what we laughingly call 'Civilazation'+ calling the Process progress.

 

[Saphire]

I've never been to Cornwall - it looks beautiful though.

Shame it has changed beyond recognition, as you say

Most places change though, over the years.

I've witnessed it all before.

Yes places do change, often for the better, not in St Ives though.
Newquay, Cornwall was another place we used to have family holidays...last time I went, it had lost all it's charm....it was positively scruffy.

Where have you witnessed a downward spiral when you went back to visit?

 

[Saphire]

There are various villages around the UK where local councils wont shore up the coastal defences to protect the homeowners from "Climate Change".

Hence they cant get insurance so they are selling up and moving out.

Guess what happens to those properties, now having feck all value, they are getting snapped up by at rock bottom prices.

Bet the new sea walls wont be built by the companies buying those homes, they will just level the lot and create seaside tourist areas with lovely beaches.

Sea rise my ass, 1.8mm a year for over a century.

Yeah, that's the other side of the coin.

 

[Saphire]

I find most (if not all) the places I've witnessed changes in, were for the worse, not better.

Vague.

 

[breakwake_]

Its getting the same all over Cornwall. I could list the problems but the problems only affect local people mainly and noone cares about them. Cornwall needs greater investment to develop industries other than tourism but with tourism its an industry where no money has to spent to make a lot of money, most of which doesn't get seen by the local communities. The problem lies with the Government in Westminster, no matter the party, being unwilling to address problems facing local people. Sorry to say but I'm one of those people who believes the only way things will change is when locals start committing crimes against the wealthy people that move here. Thats the only locals will get their voices heard. Local people aren't to blame for the problems they face, its inequality.

 

[Saphire]

Yes, vague because it was simply an answer to the following:

Yes places do change, often for the better, not in St Ives though.



I suspect you wanted a much longer answer, detailing the places I was referring to.

It would have made for a more interesting answer.

 

[Saphire]

Its getting the same all over Cornwall. I could list the problems but the problems only affect local people mainly and noone cares about them. Cornwall needs greater investment to develop industries other than tourism but with tourism its an industry where no money has to spent to make a lot of money, most of which doesn't get seen by the local communities. The problem lies with the Government in Westminster, no matter the party, being unwilling to address problems facing local people. Sorry to say but I'm one of those people who believes the only way things will change is when locals start committing crimes against the wealthy people that move here. Thats the only locals will get their voices heard. Local people aren't to blame for the problems they face, its inequality.

View attachment 9697

So you see it first hand.

Do you remember when the same thing was happening in parts of Wales?
Locals did take things into their own hands, burning down some of the properties that rich folk had bought for second homes.
Those houses lay empty for most of the year, only occupied for the odd weekend or at holiday times.
You can understand the anger the locals felt when they were unable to buy because property was scarce or uninhabitable, and the decent property was snapped up even though prices were inflated.

 

[Saphire]

True, but I don't disclose my life to strangers on the internet.
I only disclose a few snippets I choose to..

I wasn't asking for your bra size love, it was just a general question relating to the thread.

 

[Saphire]

Lol @ bra size.

Bra size doesn't tell you much about a woman, as she shares the same size with millions of other women around the world.

Whereas it's much more personal disclosing/discussing one's life - In this instance mentioning the places we think have changed over the years.

OK...that's your choice.

I note you ask a lot of questions yourself, I don't mind that usually, but conversations work both ways you know....even on a forum.

 

[Saphire]

Lots of my posts/questions don't get answered - yet I'm not complaining.

I'm not complaining, just pointing out the obvious.

Suns out...off I trot.

 

[LadyOnArooftop]

Where have you witnessed a downward spiral when you went back to visit?

There's an old saying "It's grim up north". That may very well be true, because many of our seaside resorts have the opposite problem to places down south, like St Ives. I'm speaking primarily of Morecambe. I have such lovely memories of holidays there as a child, the funfair and all the attractions. I revisited it a few years ago, to find it's very run-down. Lots of boarded up shops, the funfair and most of the attractions had gone. The only thing left was the lovely sea view. Oh, and the statue of Eric Morecambe. I don't think they have a second home/holiday lets problem there.

 

[funandflirty]

There's an old saying "It's grim up north". That may very well be true, because many of our seaside resorts have the opposite problem to places down south, like St Ives. I'm speaking primarily of Morecambe. I have such lovely memories of holidays there as a child, the funfair and all the attractions. I revisited it a few years ago, to find it's very run-down. Lots of boarded up shops, the funfair and most of the attractions had gone. The only thing left was the lovely sea view. Oh, and the statue of Eric Morecambe. I don't think they have a second home/holiday lets problem there.

I believe there is going to be investment in that area along with the Eden north project (unless it’s been axed).

It’s difficult because if there is investment people will buy holiday homes/second properties in the area and the same concern would be heard that locals are being priced out.

Although the issue is exacerbated in seaside towns the issue is faced in other areas too (locals being priced out of the area). Where I live is about 30 mins from central London so in our area we have lots of properties purchased by Londoners (property prices are now averaging 550K)

 

[Saphire]

There's an old saying "It's grim up north". That may very well be true, because many of our seaside resorts have the opposite problem to places down south, like St Ives. I'm speaking primarily of Morecambe. I have such lovely memories of holidays there as a child, the funfair and all the attractions. I revisited it a few years ago, to find it's very run-down. Lots of boarded up shops, the funfair and most of the attractions had gone. The only thing left was the lovely sea view. Oh, and the statue of Eric Morecambe. I don't think they have a second home/holiday lets problem there.

I only went to Morecambe once...it was a nightmare, not so much the place, the events ....I never went back.

There are some nice Northern places, Manchester for one...absolutely brilliant place to live.
Seaside places, we have Southport (no good for swimming) and Blackpool....(definitely for youngsters, or oldsters with an acquired taste for the rough and ready)
We have visited Whitby and St Annes....more so in the last couple of years with the pandemic halting foreign travel.

But for me...the North Wales coastline cant be beaten.

 

[LadyOnArooftop]

I was watching Homes under the Hammer the other week, and a 1 bed flat in London went for nearly £300k! Up here you could get a 3 bed detached, with a sea view for that money. One advantage of of living 'up north', is the low house prices...

Yes, I do like North Wales, went to Rhyl a few times and Frith? beach as a child. I'm not sure how well those places are faring these days.

 

[Saphire]

I was watching Homes under the Hammer the other week, and a 1 bed flat in London went for nearly £300k! Up here you could get a 3 bed detached, with a sea view for that money. One advantage of of living 'up north', is the low house prices...

Yes, I do like North Wales, went to Rhyl a few times and Frith? beach as a child. I'm not sure how well those places are faring these days.

I don't know Frith, Rhyl seems to be run down now, but we have only passed through it lately, so I may be wrong.
Llandudno is gorgeous...and just up the road Rhos on Sea is lovely too...and a bit quieter.
But my favourite place is Barmouth. It reminds me of how Newquay was about 30 years ago.

 

[LadyOnArooftop]

I don't know Frith, Rhyl seems to be run down now, but we have only passed through it lately, so I may be wrong.
Llandudno is gorgeous...and just up the road Rhos on Sea is lovely too...and a bit quieter.
But my favourite place is Barmouth. It reminds me of how Newquay was about 30 years ago.

Have you ever been to Porthmadog (sounds rude )? That's my favourite place in N Wales, miles of beaches and close to Portmeirion, where 'Prisoner' was filmed.

 

[Saphire]

Have you ever been to Porthmadog (sounds rude )? That's my favourite place in N Wales, miles of beaches and close to Portmeirion, where 'Prisoner' was filmed.

I love it there...and we visited Portmeirion a couple of times too.
Next time you go to Porthmadog, if you haven't been, go to the train station bar and cafe, (Spooners) they do a nice cream tea.
The outside space at the back, is a great place to see the steam trains coming and going.