News
Census shows Wales’ second homes ‘problem’ is not straightforward
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RESULTS from the 2021 Census show Wales’s “second homes problem” is not as straightforward as activists believe.
In key tourism areas, many second homes are owned by those with home addresses in the same county or within Wales.
That undermines several assumptions underpinning the Welsh Government’s and nationalists’ rationale for targeting second homeowners with increased levels of Council Tax. It also suggests that their Welsh owners use properties registered as second homes as undeclared holiday-letting units.
Much of the heat in the second homes debate arises from fears that “incomers” (code for English residents) exploit low Welsh property prices to enrich themselves and price locals out of property markets. There are undoubtedly areas of Wales where that is the case – particularly in places like Abersoch in North Wales or, in Pembrokeshire, along the St David’s Peninsula and Tenby.
However, the census statistics show that 7.5% of homeowners in Gwynedd – where the campaign against second homes is hottest – own second homes. Not all of those second homes are necessarily in Gwynedd or Wales. However, home ownership patterns suggest that a significant proportion of those declaring a second home own them within a short distance from their primary residences.
The number of homeowners who declared second homes varies between Welsh counties in a semi-predictable pattern.
Census data produced by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows the following:
Carmarthenshire recorded a population exceeding 180,000. Around 6,100 declared a second home, 760 outside England and Wales.
Of around 73,000 individuals in Ceredigion, just under 6,500 declared they owned a second home, with 815 homes outside England and Wales.
In Pembrokeshire, the Census recorded a population of just under 119,000. Over 4,200 reported second home ownership, of which 745 are outside England and Wales.
Gwynedd showed that 7,800 declared a second ownership out of a population of 108,000. Over 1,100 of those second homes are outside England and Wales.
Converting those figures into percentages and ignoring those homes outside the UK shows that Ceredigion is a huge outlier in second home ownership. 7.8% of its population own second homes in England or Wales. The corresponding figure for Pembrokeshire is 3%, for Carmarthenshire, it’s 3%, and for Gwynedd, it’s a fraction above 6%.
Cardiff is the only Welsh Council area that exceeds Ceredigion for second home ownership in England and Wales, where 8% of the permanent population own such properties.
Comparing that data with Council Tax records shows the following:
Carmarthenshire reports 1,100 second homes, although this is likely an underestimate.
Ceredigion records 2,120 second homes or holiday lets.
Pembrokeshire records 3,800 second homes or holiday lets that are charged a premium and a further 422 which are not.
In Gwynedd, the figure is 3,750 second homes whose owners pay a premium and an additional 975 second homes not charged a premium.
The Isle of Anglesey has the largest percentage of second homes as a proportion of housing stock.
Comparing second home ownership rates and Council Tax data suggests a strong correlation between the number of people who own second homes and those who live within the local authorities covered above. In other words, those affected most by a second-home premium are likelier to live in Wales than come from outside its borders.
In Gwynedd and Pembrokeshire, the data suggests property flipping to avoid Council Tax is not solely the preserve of greedy incomers capitalising on lower property prices. The same data suggests that new legislation trying to register properties in the right category faces a major obstacle separating second homes owned by residents from those held by predatory speculators.
The Welsh Government places the onus for overseeing the administration of Council Tax premiums and the correct registration of holiday lets onto Welsh councils. How local authorities can fund those functions, let alone carry them out, without significant extra resources is open to question.
Community
Public reminded to stay away from Ward’s Yard and Criterion Quay
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THE PORT of Milford Haven is reminding members of the public to stay away from Ward’s Yard in Milford Haven and Criterion Quay (sometimes known as the offshore jetty) in Pembroke Dock due to concerns over public safety.
Despite significant security measures, people continue to access the sites illegally, ignoring and sometimes damaging the onsite signage and fences.
Niall Yeomans, Head of Health, Safety and Security at the Port of Milford Haven said: “Safety is our key priority. Members of the public are continuously putting themselves and members of our team at risk of serious harm by trespassing in these areas.”
“Both Ward’s Yard and Criterion Quay are unsafe for public access. They are isolated areas next to deep water and are susceptible to slips, trips and falls.”
Both sites are owned by the Port of Milford Haven and are private property. Anyone found onsite without consent is trespassing, and any criminal damage could result in prosecution.
Anyone who sees any suspicious activity at Ward’s Yard or Criterion Quay is asked to contact Dyfed Powys Police on 101 urgently.
Crime
‘Sophisticated’ organised crime gang trafficked cocaine and cannabis to Aberystwyth
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FIVE people have been found guilty or admitted to conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis as Dyfed-Powys Police continues its efforts to dismantle organised crime gangs.
Officers seized cocaine with a street value of more than £400,000 from gang members, who continually changed tactics to avoid arrest.
Six defendants have appeared in court in the latest phase of Dyfed-Powys Police’s Operation Burleigh, which sought to disrupt the trafficking and onward supply of class A and B drugs into Aberystwyth, with all but one admitting their charges or being found guilty by a jury.
This brings the total number of people awaiting sentence under the operation to 15.
The court heard that officers from Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Team and Ceredigion Priority Policing Team led the investigation into the OCG, which was described as ‘sophisticated, well-organised and evolving’.
Detective Sergeant Steven Jones said: “This conspiracy operated on a County Lines model, where controlled drugs are trafficked into a smaller rural town from a larger city, and the operation is controlled by one or more ‘drugs lines’.
“In this case there were a total of four lines controlling the supply of cocaine and cannabis within Aberystwyth.
“The conspirators frequently evolved their actions to frustrate the authorities and evade capture.”
The OCG embedded members were mainly asylum seekers brought to Aberystwyth by Toana Ahmad and another man who remains outstanding, with the sole purpose of dealing drugs. The drug lines were initially based in Swansea, and later in areas of Birmingham.
Three properties – on Terrace Road, Alexander Road and Parc Graig Glas – were identified early in the investigation as being used to house the OCG members embedded in Aberystwyth. Substantial amounts of cash, controlled drugs and weapons were recovered from these properties, and from the people found inside.
When arrests were made, the gang changed its tactics. Drugs began to be supplied from vehicles, and OCG members stayed in guest houses to avoid detection.
DS Jones added: “Trusted couriers were employed to transport drugs to Aberystwyth and cash back to Birmingham or Swansea. A number of vehicles, including taxis, were used as the gang attempted to avoid detection along the route, while trains were also taken when courier cars were stopped by officers.”
In June 2023, two vehicles travelling from the West Midlands towards Aberystwyth were stopped by police on consecutive days. A black sock was uncovered in the engine of the first car, which was found to contain 82g of high purity cocaine divided into 169 grip seal plastic bags.
Davinder Singh, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs, was the driver of the second vehicle, which was a taxi. A blue plastic bag was seen falling out of his shorts, which contained over 81g of high purity cocaine divided into 167 grip seal bags.
DS Jones said: “On the basis that the amounts of cocaine transported over the 37 couriers over the course of the conspiracy period were similar, over 3kg of cocaine would have been conveyed to Aberystwyth from Birmingham.
“This equates to class A drugs with a potential street value of over £308,950. In addition to this, class A drugs were seized from individuals and addresses with a potential street value of £103,445, along with cash totalling £11,687.
“A number of teams and departments across Dyfed-Powys Police, from analysts, CCTV operators and priority policing teams, to CAB, the Technical Support Unit, Economic Crime Team and Force Intelligence Bureau all assisted in dismantling the OCG from top to bottom.
“Their dedication and relentless efforts have assisted in making Aberystwyth a safer place to live without the threat and harm of drugs being made easily available on the street.”
After a seven-week trial at Swansea Crown Court earlier this year, the following three defendants were found guilty for their parts in the conspiracy:
- Toana Ahmad, aged 33, of Lee Gardens in Smethwich, West Midlands
- Barzan Sarhan, aged 31, of no fixed address
- Ahmed Piro, aged 26, of no fixed address
The jury failed to reach a verdict on two defendants during the earlier trial. They have been subject to a retrial starting on July 1, with the following outcomes:
- Hawre Ahmed, aged 35, of Pinderfields Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was found guilty by the jury of conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs.
- Diar Yousef Zeabari, aged 35, of Flat 5, 41 Bryn Road, Swansea, was found not guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs.
Karwan Karim, aged 39 of 125 Griffith John Street, Swansea, also stood trial, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and B controlled drugs on day three.
In addition to the OCG members found guilty during the most recent trials, the following have previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs under Operation Burleigh:
- Davinder Singh, aged 36, of Huntingdon Road, West Bromwich
- Daban Khalil, aged 23, of Streetly Road, Birmingham
- Kastro Omar, aged 30, of Junction Road, Northampton
- Karwan Jabari, aged 26, of Weedon Close, Northampton
- Walid Younis Abdal, aged 34, of St Anne’s Road, Doncaster
- Saman Aziz, aged 41, of Kirk Road, Merseyside
- Adel Mustafa, aged 39, of Hubert Road, Newport
- Charlotte Roberts, aged 21, of Sutton Hill, Telford
The following have previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs:
- Akasha Smith, aged 24, of Third Avenue, Aberystwyth
- Luqman Jarjis, aged 21, of Wake Green Road, Birmingham
News
Community asked for views on allocation of new St Davids homes
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THE FIRST phase of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Glasfryn housing development in St Davids is progressing well with the second phase also underway.
The development being built by GRD Homes Ltd, began in November 2023, with a first phase completion date of Winter 2024 looking hopeful, ahead of the scheduled plans.
The first phase consists of seven properties, including a mixture of one and two bedroom bungalows
As completion draws closer the properties will be advertised via Pembrokeshire Choice Homes.
Ahead of this, the Council’s housing team will be holding community engagement on the 13th August 2024 at the Ty’r Pererin Centres, Quickwell Hill, St Davids, SA62 6PD, 5pm-7pm.
This will be a chance for officers to liaise with the local community about the allocation process for these properties.
Glasfryn’s second phase is well underway, with the initial groundwork already completed. This phase includes a further 11 two bedroom bungalows, with a completion date in late 2025.
These bungalows will meet the latest Welsh Government’s Development Quality Requirement, and will be energy efficient, built to EPC A specification and include solar panels to help tenants with running costs.
The Glasfryn development is funded in partnership with Welsh Government.
Cabinet Member for Housing Cllr Michelle Bateman said: “We are really keen to work with the community on a local lettings policy for these new properties, as we have done for our developments in other parts of the County.”
If you have any queries please email the Customer Liaison Team on [email protected], phone them on 01437 764551, or visit Housing’s Facebook page.
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