Norfolk villagers have voted for tight restrictions to curb the number of second homes in their area, amid mounting concerns over the impact the properties are having on many communities.
Locals in Heacham are thought to be the first in the county to add a clause to their 'neighbourhood plan' - the document governing housing developments in the area - to say that any new homes must be for the purposes of "primary residence".
It comes at time of increasing debate over the impact that second properties and holiday lets are having on communities in popular, rural areas of the county.
While supporters point out the economic contribution that such properties make, critics say they are 'hollowing' out many villages by pricing out locals and leaving homes empty for large parts of the year.
The restriction called for by residents of Heacham, a popular seaside village by the Wash, does not automatically bring in a ban, but it means that the local district council, West Norfolk, must consider the views when considering any planning applications in the village.
The neighbourhood plan, drawn up by a group of parish councillors and villagers after local consultation, stipulates: "Due to the impact upon the local housing market of the continued growth of dwellings used for holiday accommodation (as second or holiday homes) new open market housing, excluding replacement dwellings, will only be supported where there is a restriction to ensure its occupancy as a principal residence."
A vote was held in the village on whether to endorse the document, with 83pc in support. Around a quarter of the village's 4,750 population took part.
Terry Parish, borough councillor for Heacham who also sits on the parish council and was one of those behind the plan, said: "The plan is legally binding in that it has passed both inspection and referendum.
"In my opinion, shared by many in Heacham and elsewhere along the coast, the number of second homes and holiday homes has got far beyond a conversation piece and is certainly not a joke.
"The reason given for the excessive developments seen in recent years have been ‘to meet housing needs’ and ‘ to meet government targets’. Well, second homes and holiday homes do not meet any need.
"They might meet a desire for a nice home by the sea but that is something entirely different and those desires do not outweigh the harm caused to the countryside and villages by unnecessary development."
West Norfolk council said neighbourhood plans were "a material consideration" when deciding future planning applications.
"We are bound to determine them in accordance with the neighbourhood plan and other relevant policies of the local plan," a spokesman said.
Council leader Stuart Dark said: "Local neighbourhood plans are very important tools for our planning officers to look at.
"It's been through a referendum, it's been through an independent inspection so it holds water."
While Heacham is the first Norfolk village to impose such restrictions, similar initiatives have been introduced in other tourism hotspots.
However, none have found a perfect response to the situation.
In St Ives, in Cornwall, the council imposed a ban on new properties being sold for second homes in 2019 in a bid to ease the crisis.
But three years on, a study by the London School of Economics (LSE) found the measure had made matters worse by reducing the number of available properties, switching demand from new-build to existing properties and driving prices up still further.
A similar ban on new properties becoming second homes was agreed by East Suffolk Council, which includes second home hotspot Southwold, earlier this year.
Meanwhile, a referendum is being considered in North Norfolk, along the lines of a recent poll in Whitby, North Yorkshire, which came out overwhelmingly against second homes in the town.
While it would have no legal force, it would show the strength of local feeling.
Duncan Baker, the MP for North Norfolk - the neighbouring constituency to Heacham - has actively campaigned on the issue of second homes.
He warned that the the new measures would not offer the village a "silver bullet".
For a start, it is not clear how the restrictions on new builds could be imposed once the house is sold on.
"Sometimes these policies are put in place and have adverse consequences," he added.
"Look at what happened in St Ives, it stifled any development of new homes because there wasn't an open market for builders to build for.
"I want to push for planning changes whereby you can't rent out your house as an Airbnb unless you get planning permission."
At the time of the 2001 census, 183 properties in Heacham were classed as second homes or holiday properties. By 2021, that figure had risen by 165pc to 303. If static caravans are included in the equation, the proportion of second homes and holiday lets rises to 48pc.
Parts of nearby north Norfolk have the highest proportion of second homes outside London.
The Heacham neighbourhood plan adds: "While second homes and holiday homes bring some economic benefits, by generating some employment opportunities in activities such as maintenance, cleaning and in hospitality, this may not be of direct benefit to the village.
"They can also have harmful effects on the village. The increase in second homes and holiday lets has increased house prices disproportionately so that local people, particularly first-time buyers, cannot compete with second, and holiday home owners."
The average house price in Heacham is currently £312,066. Average earnings in the village are £17,740, while a couple looking to buy a home with a £200,000 mortgage would need to be earning more than £44,000.
The plan states: "Respondents considered that the greatest need was for homes which would be occupied full-time by the owners and for various types of affordable housing, for rent, shared ownership or suitable for first-time buyers. Nearly all agreed there was no need for any further second homes or for any more ‘high end’, expensive housing."
Residents in neighbouring Hunstanton have also voted in favour of a neighbourhood plan. But the town's blueprint said "second homeowners are a part of the community in this area in the 21st century" and called instead for more variety in new developments rather than a principal residence clause.
Some 68pc of respondents to an EDP second homes survey said they were struggling to afford a home, while a similar number said rising prices had driven them out of the community they grew up in and 80pc said there should be a levy placed on second homes to fund community housing projects.
HEACHAM HIGHLIGHTS
The village's popularity as a resort began with the Victorians, when the railway between King's Lynn and Hunstanton opened in the early 1860s.
In 1887, the village's Jubilee Bridge was built over the Heacham River, which enters the Wash to the south of the resort.
The structure replaced an older, wooden bridge and was paid for using unspent subscriptions from parishioners to the celebrations for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.
In 1929, the first woman to swim the Wash, Mercedes Gleitze, came ashore at Heacham, after battling strong tides for over 13 hours.
The village was badly hit by the 1953 floods, with nine people killed when the sea broke through.
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