By David Prince

Copyright dailypost

North Wales Live readers have been debating the announcement that Cyngor Gwynedd will challenge a High Court ruling concerning its second homes policy.

The authority was the pioneering Welsh council to introduce an Article 4 Direction, requiring planning consent for properties to operate as second homes or short-term holiday rentals.

A judge determined that the council’s Cabinet may have been “misled” regarding the scope of the changes when deciding to proceed.

The council maintains the Article 4 Direction “remains in force” whilst pursuing its appeal.

Councillor Craig ab Iago explained the objective was to assist local residents: “We have been determined to do everything in our power to ensure that the people of Gwynedd have access to suitable homes in their communities,” noting that research “showed that 65% of Gwynedd households were being priced out of the housing market”.

Council leader Nia Jeffreys declared: “Everyone has a right to a home in their community,” and the council would “firmly defend our case”.

Some readers responded with strong reactions, such as Tomosb81, who comments: “This is a time for serious introspection by Cyngor Gwynedd. Blind dogma led to this unwise, damaging and extremely costly implementation of Article 4. Anyone who carried out more than a remedial level of analysis knew the consequences. Will those who had to sell their home for a material discount in the intervening period be recompensed? Will it be made public how much this has cost Gwynedd (implementation costs and legal costs)?”

Barneyboy69 adds: “Maybe if the council were expected to use their own personal wealth instead of council tax payers money they’d think twice about using/abusing the legal system.”

Jnrm says: “So 65% of households in Gwynedd do not own a property and are being priced out of one of the cheapest housing areas of the UK! This is more false facts. Second homes account for less than 5% of properties in Gwynedd and in many rural areas less than 1%. Many of these rural.properties were derelicts because locals don’t want to.live in them. Plaid will not accept the truth that some locals are priced out solely due to.the fact that they can’t get a mortgage because there are no jobs.

“Article 4 has decimated the rural housing market- locals can’t afford them or dont want to.live miles from.shops and inward migrants won’t risk purchasing a property that has restrictions on it. Vote out these people at the next council election before our main financial asset is destroyed.”

SCATHINGPEN feels: “One of Plaid’s nowhere near brilliant ideas to keep the Welsh vote in place so that Plaid can keep some power and Plaid MPs and AMs can keep their lucrative jobs and perks. One wonders, how much if taxpayer’s money had been spent on this case? They don’t care. It’s not their money after all. It’s come from our pockets. Article 4 has done nothing except make those Welsh who own a principle home in the, area poorer, or who had a business involving a holiday let, struggle. That’s who it’s hit the hardest.”

Steamnut asks: “And who will pay for the appeal? Us! Clearly this is going to be less of a fight of legal arguments and more of fight of the size of the available legal funds.”

Vaughan-guessing agrees: “Well said, I totally agree. Unfortunately Gwynedd council and their loyal flock of supporters don’t understand rational logical thinking, they are the minority who unfortunately take up most of the bandwidth and bleat the loudest on this subject.”

Rockdupont writes: “The largely unelected power holders in Gwynedd could have used this as an opportunity to quietly lick their wounds and walk away from what even the most nationalistic amongst them must have realised was a terrible and ill thought through idea. Instead they seek to waste even more of OUR money chasing this horrendous folly of theirs. The only positive if they appeal is that it will give Gwynedd’s long suffering population even more reason to vote them out.”

Globetrotter believes: “Nobody has a right to a house in their community. You have to buy your first house in areas you can afford and work hard and move again later. I moved four times before I got my ideal home.”

Realchewbacca -asks: “When will Gwynedd and all the other councils get it into their thick skulls that what is needed is more social housing and / or better jobs so that ‘the young’ can earn enough to buy a home. This information was spelt out in a government sponsored review in 2003, I think, and nothing really effective has been done about it so the current imagined housing crisis is the fault of every council since then.

“The days of ‘living in the location where you were born’ disappeared many years ago and housing problems everywhere, due to house prices and the cost of living, was in the news again tonight. So far, for all the following, it’s only local authorities in Wales that have taken draconian measures to make holiday letting an impossibility, selling a property, and owning a second home unaffordable.”

DidiEffie says: “The reason many locals can’t afford to buy a house is because they don’t earn enough to qualify for a mortgage. How many times has planning permission for new housing been refused on the grounds of it will dilute the Welsh language. The inference being that them from away will buy them!. I have the greatest respect for the Welsh language long May it thrive. But don’t weaponise it as a means to keep out investment.”

Do you agree with the council? Comment below or HERE to join in the conversation.