Stop the Short-Term Let Landlords Ruining Our Villages

Honestly, it drives me mad. Everywhere you look in Bakewell, and across the Peak District really, you see 'Holiday Let' signs. Houses that should be for families, for nurses, for teachers, are just empty shells for half the year, or even more. Then the council wonders why we can't get young people to stay, or why the local shop is struggling. It's not rocket science; people can't afford to live here anymore because every spare bit of property is being snapped up for tourists.

We need to take back control of our housing stock. I propose a mandatory licensing scheme for all holiday lets, and that includes Airbnbs and the like. This wouldn't just be a rubber stamp; you’d need to prove a genuine need for a holiday let in that specific location and show how it benefits the local community. It's time we put residents first, not just another quick buck for absent landlords.