Editor

I read with growing concern the articles and letters on second home ownership.

There is a real issue of availability of affordable homes in Gwynedd but this is an issue across the whole of the UK.

The reporting in the press and on social media points the finger of blame solely on those who buy properties and do not live in them full time. Focusing on one part of the problem gives a biased view and potentially misses other action that could be taken to help homeowners.The reporting on the sale of the chapel in Pistyll is an example of this. The only commentary has been the chapel has sold to someone from outside the region to be a holiday home. A wider view is: 1) the local community stopped using and supporting the chapel forcing it to close; 2) the body owning the chapel is a charity and has a legal obligation to get the best value for its assets, so in order to achieve best value it applied for planning permission for change of use before selling; 3) Plaid Cymru controlled Gwynedd Council granted planning permission for the chapel to be converted on condition that it was not used as a permanent residence but only as a holiday home; 4) the chapel sold at auction at a price above the guide price - so the charity met its legal obligation to get best value.

For our Plaid Cymru MS and MP to bemoan the sale is somewhat disingenuous considering the fact that the county council was responsible for the planning condition placed on the building.

A number of the recent articles on the subject of second homes have referred to a report by Dr Simon Brooks. I’m not sure how many of your readers have had read this rather lengthy 85-page report.

When referencing this report most articles refer to the suggested changes to tax and planning laws to control the number of second homes.

Dr Brooks’ primary concern in the report is the effect of the housing market on the Welsh language. He states that the sale of current second homes is undesirable as they may be bought by people from outside the region who don’t speak Welsh. His concern is not that locals can’t buy the houses, but that non-Welsh speakers can buy them.

It is imperative that we support our local communities with good quality, well-paid jobs and also provide affordable housing to rent and to buy. However whilst doing this we must also avoid a return to a culture where it is acceptable to discriminate based on someone’s race or language.

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