EXCLUSIVE Picturesque Norfolk town fighting back against county's crackdown on second home owners by refusing to double council tax and impose strict rules on new builds

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

It's a town that displayed its rebellious spirit nearly 500 years ago when modern-minded manor owner Robert Kett led a rebellion against King Henry VII over workers' rights.
And the defiance of idyllic medieval Norfolk market town Wymondham lives on today – by welcoming second home owners and Airbnb investors who have faced a backlash elsewhere in the same county.
Residents in a string of towns and villages in the East Anglian tourist hotspot have voted to introduce tough measures to stop 'outsiders' taking over properties they want for themselves.
These include rules against newbuilds being snapped up by investors and imposing double council tax on those who already own investment homes.
But Tory-run Wymondham's council continues to welcome them with open arms, stating it does not believe in 'tax for taxation's sake' and has no desire to punish people financially for aspiring to own a second home.
Many business owners and residents support this bucking of the trend in Norfolk, arguing tourists bring extra footfall to shops, restaurants, bars and pubs as well as adding vibrancy to the community.
Tom Boggan, 32, who runs the award-winning Farm Café, with partner Jessica Leeder, 33, said: 'As with any business, it's been a bit of a struggle [of late].
'We've noticed recently that there are a lot of people visiting the area, whether to see family or on holiday. I'd say it's obviously of benefit… from a business point of view I don't want to discourage it.'
Nicky O'Grady, who runs The Enchanted Willow florist, said: 'We have a lovely town and we certainly welcome people with second homes. They can afford to spend money and buy local produce.
'People do forget about us but there is so much to see and do here. We are thriving and the town is beautiful. Like anywhere else, the town just needs a little love.
'We get a lot of visitors who come to see the Abbey, the Mid Norfolk steam railway and our shops and art gallery.
'I am lucky because my business is supported by locals. But if people have the money for a second home, then good for them. They could do a lot worse than coming here.'
Kyrena O'Brien, a sales negotiator at TW Gaze estate agents, said Wymondham's charm and its median house price of around £300,000 - just above the national average - made it an attractive option.
She added: 'We get quite a few second home buyers. They often want to buy a place to rent out or use as an Airbnb.
'Wymondham is attractive to them because it is a beautiful old town with a lot of history to it. It has a rural feel but we are only 15 minutes' drive from Norwich.
'You can also get to the coast in half an hour or so. I am sure that the small businesses here do not care where people come from.
'Second home buyers are certainly getting a better deal here by only having to pay half the council tax that they would pay in other parts of the county.
'The town is becoming more and more popular. It is an attractive place for short-term lets, as well as full time rentals. And there is no shortage of demand.'
Aideen Summers, who runs The Lemon Tree Café, said: 'North Norfolk is full of second homes compared to round here.
'But this is a wonderful town and is a lovely place to visit. We benefit from visitors who stay here and pop in for a bite to eat.'
Wymondham is 30 miles from the sea and is less flashy than many coastal villages in North Norfolk, where property prices have surged due to an influx of well-heeled Londoners.
But the town has a series of charming medieval streets, an array of timber-framed buildings, independent shops, a historic Abbey and a cobbled Market Cross which hosts a weekly farmer's market, making it an attractive bolthole for city dwellers.
Also tempting to outsiders is the decision not to implement new Government rules that allowed local councils to charge a 100 per cent premium on second homes from April 1 this year.
An estimated 230 councils across the UK have introduced the levy, even though some, such as Sandwell Borough Council in the West Midlands, have as few as six second homes.
Kyrena O'Brien, a sales negotiator at TW Gaze estate agents, said Wymondham's charm and its median house price of around £300,000 - just above the national average - made it an attractive option.
There are 667 second homes in the South Norfolk district, which is dwarfed in comparison to the 5,973 in North Norfolk.
South Norfolk Council's decision to avoid the levy means a second-home owner in Wymondham is paying £2,258 for a Band D property in council tax.
Across the border in Great Yarmouth, or North Norfolk, the same second home would attract a bill of more than £4,000.
South Norfolk Council leader Daniel Elmer said: 'We decided not to introduce the council tax premium this year because we don't believe in tax for taxation's sake.
'Lots of people dream about having a place in the countryside and we want to support them having that aspiration and not punish them.
'Of course, places in North Norfolk close to the sea are very popular with second home owners – but we can offer something slightly different.
'South Norfolk can offer bustling marking towns like Wymondham. People come here to became engaged members of the community and enjoy a bit of a busier lifestyle while having fantastic country walks nearly on their doorstep.
'Places like Wymondham and Harleston are still vibrant town centres but they are just a bit hidden away.'
Mr Elmer admitted that his council was under pressure to introduce a council tax premium for second home owners next year due to 'reduced support from central government and the current financial situation'.
But he insisted that it was only an option that the council had been forced to declare in advance and no final decision had yet been made.
He added: 'If we did bring it in, it would only be to freeze council tax for our residents and not to punish second home owners.'
Council chiefs in other parts of Norfolk have not been so charitable towards second home owners who have often faced anger from local people.
Some have accused them of profiteering by renting out their homes, putting pressure on local services and helping to turn villages into 'ghost towns' during winter months when homes are often left empty.
Much of the bad feeling is centred around the village of Burnham Market, known as Chelsea-on-Sea, where around one in four properties is a second home and the high street is packed with up-market restaurants and shops to cater for wealthy incomers.
Gary Wootton, co-owner of the Elementals alternative gift shop in Wymondham said: 'Our customers are predominantly local but we promote ourselves a lot on social media to attract outsiders.
'We treat everyone the same when they step through the door. I don't have a negative opinion about second home owners because I wouldn't be able to recognise them.'
Audio visual engineer Stephen French who regularly works in Wymondham, said: 'Anything that encourages more people to move here is going to be good for the local businesses.
'But whoever buys new homes here, it is important that there is enough infrastructure to go with it.'
Dominic Newman-Sanders, the sales manager at Warners estate agents, said: 'There is absolutely no animosity to second home owners here.
'Some people do buy second homes in South Norfolk and buyers like Wymondham because it is commutable with good road and rail links.
'The fact that there is no premium on council tax is not really the main issue for them. What is having far more impact is the new rule where they have to pay extra 5 per cent stamp duty surcharge for a second home which went up from 3 per cent in the Autumn budget last year.
'It means that less people are buying properties to them let out which is having a massive affect on the availability of rentals.'
Some locals do object to investors coming to the area, however.
Tricia Hinton, owner of the Ebony lifestyle shop which sells clothing, homeware and jewellery, said: 'When I came in 1979 homes were affordable but that is not the case now. More should be done to help people who live and work here all the time.
'In the street where I live, there must be four holiday lets and three or four houses that people have bought, yet they sit empty for maybe ten months a year.
'A lot of people have come here post-Covid from places like Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire. It means they can buy somewhere cheaper here and afford to retire.'
Retired automotive engineer Takawira Masendu, 76, of nearby Hethersett, added: 'Second home owners need to be discouraged.
'My opinion is that it is more important for local people to be able to afford homes.'
Robert Kett led the men of Wymondham in an uprising that began in July 1549 over the rights of poor workers, triggered by the enclosures of common lands.
He refused a Royal amnesty and his band of rebels, said to have numbered 16,000, took possession of Norwich, only to be defeated in battle after a fierce battle. He was executed for treason in December the same year.