In the rolling hills and picturesque villages of Gwynedd, North Wales, a fierce debate is unfolding over who gets to call this landscape home. Over the past year, the local council, Cyngor Gwynedd, has ramped up its efforts to tackle an escalating housing crisis, introducing a series of policies aimed at curbing the proliferation of second homes and holiday lets that, many say, are pricing locals out of their own communities.
It all started in September 2024, when the council enacted a new rule requiring homeowners to obtain planning permission before converting a residential property into a second home or holiday let. This Article 4 Direction, as it’s officially known, marked a significant shift in how Gwynedd approaches housing policy. The impact was almost immediate: the number of homes bought as second homes in the county dropped from 290 in the previous year to 250 between July 2024 and June 2025, according to figures released by the council and reported by BBC.
But the policy has not been without controversy. For some, it’s a lifeline for beleaguered communities struggling to retain their character and language. For others, it’s an overreach that’s hurting property values and making it harder for people to sell their homes.
“Morfa Nefyn has been a place where people come on their holidays for years and instead of me selling this home as a second home, it will now mean people can come here and spend money locally,” William Owen, a resident of Nefyn currently converting his old family home into a holiday let, told Newyddion S4C. Owen supports the goal of making it easier for young people to settle locally, but he’s not convinced the council’s approach is the right one. “Cyngor Gwynedd have gone about it completely wrong,” he said. “They sold all the houses, of what we used to call council houses, so why should we that own homes now have to pay for their mistakes?”
Owen’s sentiments are echoed by other property owners in the region. Nick Brown, who owns a second home in the village, expressed understanding of the council’s intentions but questioned the effectiveness of the measures. “I think it’s gone a bit too far. I think the real problem round here is jobs,” Brown said, as quoted by BBC. “Jobs are what people are after – it’s brought down prices. A number of people are selling up.” Brown also admitted that the policy had made him reconsider the impact of owning a second home, but he remains skeptical that these changes will actually make homes more affordable for young locals.
The statistics paint a stark picture of the challenges facing Gwynedd. Research by the local authority reveals that 65% of people across the county are priced out of the housing market. Even with a 7.2% decrease in average home prices over the past 12 months, the price tag for the average Gwynedd home (£288,800) remains substantially higher than the Welsh average (£238,098), as reported by the Principality Building Society.
Cyngor Gwynedd has responded with a multi-pronged approach. In addition to the planning permission requirement, the council has imposed a 150% tax premium on second homes, one of the highest in Wales. The idea is to both discourage speculative buying and generate revenue for local housing initiatives. The council is also investing £70 million to increase the local housing stock, with a particular focus on affordable homes for local families.
Despite these efforts, the housing crisis remains acute. Nearly 4,000 people are currently on Gwynedd’s social housing register, and 956 families have presented themselves as homeless between 2023 and 2034, according to council data. The pressure on the system is palpable, and the stakes are high for those waiting for a place to call their own.
For some residents, the fight is about more than just bricks and mortar; it’s about preserving the very fabric of Welsh-speaking communities. Iwan Rhys Evans, a 23-year-old from Morfa Nefyn, sees the council’s initiative as a crucial step in safeguarding local culture. “The only thing we want is to protect our Welsh-speaking communities. We have nothing against English people or tourism,” Evans told BBC. “But at the end of the day if you come here, don’t disrupt our communities because once they are gone, they’re gone.” Evans also noted a noticeable uptick in the number of homes in the village now up for sale, a possible side effect of the new rules.
The council, for its part, insists that its policies are designed to ensure the viability and longevity of local communities. “The county is under significant pressure because of a lack of affordable housing,” a spokesperson said. “That’s reflected in that nearly 4,000 people are on our social housing register with 956 families presenting themselves as homeless between 2023-34.” The council has pledged to continually evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of its measures as it seeks to respond to the housing crisis.
Not everyone is convinced that the policies will have the desired effect. Some campaigners warned early on that the Article 4 Direction could make it harder to sell homes and might even lower property values. Indeed, several residents have reported seeing more homes being put up for sale since the rules came into force. Others argue that the focus should be on creating more jobs and economic opportunities, rather than restricting who can buy property.
Still, the urgency is undeniable. With two-thirds of locals priced out of the market and homelessness on the rise, the council’s actions reflect a growing trend across the UK, where local authorities are experimenting with bold measures to try to keep communities intact. The debate in Gwynedd is emblematic of a larger struggle playing out in rural and tourist-heavy regions throughout the country: how to balance economic vitality, cultural preservation, and the basic need for affordable shelter.
As the council continues to invest in new housing and monitor the effects of its policies, the people of Gwynedd are left to navigate a housing landscape in flux. Whether the current approach will ultimately tip the scales in favor of local families or simply shift the problem elsewhere remains to be seen. For now, the conversation is as lively and divided as the communities themselves—a testament to just how much is at stake in the fight for a place to call home.
