Latest news with #councillor
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
West Northants Reform councillor suspended 34 days after election
A Reform UK councillor has been suspended by his party just over a month after being party said there were "a number of concerns" about Adam Smith, who sits on West Northamptonshire took control of the authority at the election in May, winning 42 of the 76 seats is now sitting as an independent. He has been contacted for comment. Smith picked up 1,063 votes on 1 May and took one of the two seats in Hackleton and affiliation listing on the council website changed on Tuesday from Reform UK to Independent.A spokesperson for the party said: "Following a number of concerns regarding the conduct of councillor Adam Smith, the whip has been suspended pending an internal investigation. We cannot comment further at this time." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Locals in picturesque seaside town fighting Airbnb crisis reveal heart-breaking loophole stopping them from buying homes
To many, it is an idyllic postcard destination with its Fairy Pools, rugged mountains and picturesque fishing villages. After all, its dramatic landscapes even feature as a filming location in the Game of Thrones. But for young people actually living on the Isle of Skye, it is more than just a beauty spot. It is their home. It is where they grew up, went to school, found work, and had hopes of buying their own homes. But heartbroken locals have told MailOnline how youngsters are increasingly being priced out of Skye as AirBnB landlords who have 'never stepped foot on the island' snap up all the homes. And a frustrating loophole in how mortgages are approved in Scotland means AirBnB businessmen - often from 'down South' - can easily outbid young couples and families who spend years saving up for a deposit. Speaking to MailOnline, one councillor suggested as much as 60 per cent of properties on the island lay empty during the winter months as they have all turned into second homes and short-term lets. Hospitality bosses, who often have to hire staff from off the island, have said the crisis is so bad that they've had to scale back their businesses due to a lack of long-term private rentals available. The island's booming AirBnB market comes as no surprise considering it is the second most visited destination in Scotland after Edinburgh, but locals say it is leaving them with no choice but to move onto the mainland. Ryan Scott, 17, tells of how he has little hopes of being able to buy a property on the island as AirBnB developers cause prices to shoot up The average house price at the tourist hotspot now stands at £260k, over £60k higher than the average house price for Scotland - which is £194k. Ryan Scott is a 17-year-old fisherman who had goals of buying a two-bed home on Skye in the coming years, but now admits it is highly unlikely. He told MailOnline: 'People that don't live on Skye buy houses and convert them into AirBnBs. 'I remember there was a nice three-bed house that went up for sale that went for £500k. '£500k for a house in Dunveggan, it's ridiculous. It was a joke. 'I want to buy a house, we were looking at two-beds and discussing it but it's just too hard right now. It's so difficult because of AirBnBs. 'They're just buying it all up and pushing prices up. 'I think its mainly people from down South, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London. A lot of the English. 'I guess if you live in the city and have a good job, it's so easy to buy up here. 'I don't blame them, if we were in the same position we probably would too. 'But it's obviously not nice for the people who live here.' Last year, data showed that house prices on Scottish islands had shot up by 30 per cent over five years from 2018 to 2023, with reports it was sparked by a rise in cash buyers in the market. In 2020, community leaders wrote an open letter warning of how rising property prices on Skye were preventing locals from buying a home, comparing the situation to an 'economic clearance'. The situation, locals say, has been exacerbated by a common trend on the island of AirBnB buyers from outside of Skye offering up to 50 per cent over the asking price of a home. Councillor John Finlayson said up to 60 per cent of homes lay empty during the winter period as they have all become second homes and holiday lets In one case, a family told of how they were outbid on a property that was advertised as on sale for £110,000 after the successful buyer offered £150,000 - £40,000, or 36 per cent, more than the house value. In Scotland means buyers are only able to get a loan based on the value of the home - which is determined in a 'home report' - and not the purchase price. This means that any amount above the home value has to be footed by the buyer themselves - something which is easily done by developers and landlords, locals say, but is pushing young people out. A couple could spend years saving up for a 10 per cent deposit to purchase a £100k home, but to compete with a buyer offering £40k above the asking price, they would need to cough-up an additional £40k cash upfront. A local on Skye, Ms Macluod, told of how the rise of AirBnBs is making it near impossible to buy and destroying the community. Her own daughter was priced off the island. She said: 'It's definitely a problem, there's no doubt about that. 'My daughter got married and wanted to buy here with her husband but she couldn't afford to. 'There are so many people buying up properties and using them as AirBnBs. 'I understand why but there's a shortage of homes so don't take up every home that's available. 'A woman told me an entire street where she lives is now completely AirBnBs bar two houses. 'You lose the sense of community you know, there are just people coming and going all the time.' Describing her daughter's situation she said: 'It's the cheaper, smaller homes that are bought up really quickly for AirBnBs. 'They are snapped up quick which is worse because those are the homes first time buyers are going for. 'At one point after Covid, houses were going for 20 per cent over asking. It was really extortionate. 'My daughter and her husband wanted to buy a house locally but they couldn't. 'They saw a house they liked and I think they put an offer down. The house was going for £110k, but they were outbid and it sold for £150k. 'That's almost 50 per cent above the asking price. 'It just means the asking price becomes meaningless. 'It's a mix of both local businessmen and folks across from us in England. 'They can buy so easily. The comparison is that for what you would get a shed for in London you would get a three-bed up here. 'I'm not sure exactly how common it is but I wouldn't be surprised as it is profitable. 'There are no cheaper homes on the market, all the two or three beds are snapped up.' Speaking to MailOnline, her daughter, who had to move 90 miles off the island to a village closer to Inverness, said: 'There's a housing crisis and also not a whole load of work aside from tourism. 'I had been working off the island and was wanting to move home after marrying my husband. 'A house was coming onto the market for £110k and we thought that was somewhat doable and we had enough for a deposit so we put an offer in. 'But we were outbid by £40k. 'That is crazy money. This was three of four years ago now. We ended up buying off the island but I keep an eye on the market as I'd like to move home long-term. 'It's hard because you're bidding against people with more disposable income. 'When it's over the asking price, we can't get that on the mortgage, you just have to pay that. 'I do have an issue with people who don't live on Skye buying AirBnBs because they're not contributing to Skye's economy. 'I don't think it's fair.' Scottish government analysis in 2019 revealed AirBnB listings on Skye account for 18.6 per cent (1,083) of all dwellings on the island - the highest rate of any Scottish ward. There were an estimated 5,813 homes on Skye at the time of this research. Comparatively, only 1.2 per cent of dwellings across Scotland were found to be AirBnBs. The percentage is thought to have risen further in the last few years. A search for on the AirBnB website for a week in June returns more than 1,000 available results. According to the Short Term Lets licensing public register, there are several thousands of licences approved for short-term lets, ranging from entire houses to pods and converted sheds. Skye councillor John Finlayson suggested a drive around the Scottish isle during the winter months would reveal more than half of homes lay empty with 'not a single light on'. He said: 'If you drive around Skye around Christmas time, in November and December, about 60 per cent of the houses will be unaccompanied. 'You can drive through some roads and there'll be hardly any lights on in the houses. 'Increasingly, we have people buying properties without even seeing them and turning them into AirBnBs. 'And then we have some people who aren't even from off the island, they live here, and they are buying up particularly ex-council houses that go up for sale. 'You have developers buying them and pushing ordinary people out of the market. 'The authority do charge 200 per cent council tax on second homes but that makes no difference to people using it as AirBnBs. There is a distinction between people using it as second homes and AirBnBs. 'There are also increasingly more pods, and people turning sheds into short-term lets too. 'The thing is AirBnBs do support the economy, but the issue is the number of people who buy who don't live here. They see it online and buy it without ever stepping foot on Skye.' He joked: 'Rich folk from London have no problem buying up here. 'You get a lot of people from down south but then it's not exclusively them, it's people all around the UK. 'Take a walk around and count the number of houses that have those lockboxes outside them. They're all holiday lets. 'You have people putting a chalise right in the garden and turning the shed into a bedroom. 'That's not what the housing community is about, is it? A lot of them are ex-council houses.' SNP councillor Drew Millar echoed his concerns, stating that there was a huge problem of AirBnB buyers offering tens of thousands above the asking price. He said: 'Houses coming up on sale are being snapped up at much more than what they're valued at and then converted into AirBnBs. 'We're short of housing here and normal people can't afford a mortgage anymore. 'The AirBnBs are pricing young people out of the market. 'It's heartbreaking. 'People are bidding £20-30k over the asking price, and they are usually for AirBnBs. 'A lot of these people have never stepped foot on the island. They can now look online and buy without ever stepping foot. 'There are parts of the Highlands deemed as a test area for controlling these things. And the feeling here in Skye is that we should have one of these. 'There are 200 social homes being built over the next few years, but that's just affordable rent. 'For those wanting to buy there's nothing. 'We need some sort of controls in place to control the number of short-term lets, which should make it more difficult for people to stroll in and purchase property. 'Across the whole of the Highlands young people are being priced out. 'My real issue is with people who don't live on Skye. They buy up property then employ people to manage it. Therefore, any profit is not going back into the community. 'And then housing is springing up in price. People are chasing, there is demand, and it so it hikes up the prices. 'It means we're also losing some of the community spirit. 'When neighbours see a house up for sale they worry it's going to become an AirBnB, with cars arriving all the time, people just coming and going. 'The current legislation is horrible. I resigned from the housing committee because we weren't rejecting any licences. 'The way the law is set up there is virtually no way to stop someone getting a licence for a short-term let. 'I was so frustrated that I decided I was not doing it anymore. We were basically rubber-stamping every application.' The picturesque island is a top tourist spot and during and post-Covid experienced a big rise in house prices Robert Macaskill, who runs Relish Cafe which sits in the ultra-touristy Wentworth Street in Portree, told of how he has had to scale back his business due to not being able to take on enough staff. He said that while he has many applications come in to relocate to the island, there are not enough private rentals on the island to find a place to live. He said: 'I'm looking to downsize but I can't. Any small homes that come onto the market are snapped up immediately. 'And even a two-bed semi here is so expensive, it's about £180-200k now. 'You get a lot of people from away, off the island, that buy up. 'And there is just a lack of housing. If I were to employ for a position, I get so many applications come through. 'But I know the situation. There are no private rentals, I saw on recently that was £900/m for a two-bed. 'It means that we've had to go from being open seven days a week to six days now. 'And on a day like today we've had to close the upstairs seating area. 'We've probably turned away around 200 people because of that today. We just don't have enough staff for it. 'I reckon about 50 per cent of homes on the island are probably AirBnB, it's probably a lot more than we think. 'I guess it does generate tourism and work so it a double-edged sword.' Meanwhile, Adrian Rudak, who moved to Skye 20 years ago and lives in affordable housing said: 'Even private rentals are difficult here because landlords prefer to rent short-term to tourists. 'The problem is the infrastructure is not growing in line with the tourism, there's not even houses and there's only one Co-op. 'I've lived on Skye for 20 years and I remember back when for six months a year it would be quiet and the other six it would be 'season'. 'Now it's season most of the time bar the three months in the winter. 'I don't even think about buying property here to be honest, I'm in social housing. 'There are loads, loads, loads of AirBnBs here. 'I do understand why they do it but there are no houses for young people even to rent.' Across from Portree, in Dunveggan, which is slightly less of a tourist hotspot, staff at a cafe told of the issues with hospitality due to the shortage in rentals. Sergio Pina, 49, spoke to MailOnline at The Blas Inn. He said: 'We've definitely seen an increase of English people buying houses and property here. 'They build it up, make it into an AirBnB, and then move back home. 'Elderly people tend to say. But people in their 30s or 40s, they don't stay. They sometimes come up for a few weeks, or just never show up at all. 'It is very very expensive up here, if it weren't for my partner I would have struggled to find housing here, 'The prices aren't that different to London, which is crazy. 'In the down season, most properties here lay empty. 'Most businesses in the hospitality sector here need to provide housing because it's so hard to get anything. 'We are only open for eight months a year and we accommodate some of the staff in caravans. There is just no housing.' Ewan Robinson, who is working at The Blas Inn as a summer job before returning to university in Ayr, is staying in a caravan. He said: 'In London you can sell your bedsit and buy a castle up here. So of course you can understand why people do it. 'People buy up here, come here for a couple of weeks, and then short-term let it. 'It happens a lot. 'The majority of people, particularly the elderly, are from southern England, not even posh or from affluent areas, just when you've equity it's a choice people make. 'You can probably sell a garage down there and get a house for that price here. 'But a lot of them actually move here which is different.' He added: 'I'm staying in a caravan on Croft Land. Without that I wouldn't have even been able to think about coming up here to work.
ABC News
7 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Country councillors resign as they struggle to balance role with full-time jobs
Low pay and growing workloads may be forcing country councillors out of the job, as they struggle to balance the demands of being a politician while working full-time elsewhere. The responsibilities of councillors vary across the country, with the scope changing with the size and population of their communities. South-west Queensland farmer and outgoing Balonne Shire councillor Jason Southern handed in his immediate resignation on May 20, saying he had too much work to do outside of the council to continue in the job. "I really feel like the role of a councillor needs a solid commitment of time and effort," he said. "And the reality is that my business commitments are stretching me too thin to give the role all that it deserves at this point." The council, 600 kilometres from Brisbane, will now hold a by-election to find a new councillor. Balonne Mayor Samantha O'Toole said she understood Mr Southern's decision to resign, and she urged anyone running for council to really consider the commitment it required. "Years ago, councillors were often just in the office one day a month and for a council meeting, but now it's often multiple days," she said. "It does take a considerable amount of time, but unfortunately the pay doesn't compensate you for the time fully. "It is really considered a civic duty or a volunteering position and that is a challenge for people because you can't necessarily leave a full-time job." Former Quilpie mayor Stuart Mackenzie OAM spent more than two decades in local government. He said the role of councillor had changed a lot in the almost 30 years since he was first elected. "When I started [in 1997], we used to get paid $120-a-meeting fee and that was it," he said. In July, the pay packets of Queensland councillors will increase across the state, ranging from $61,486 a year for smaller regions, like Barcoo, to $170,819 for councillors on the Gold Coast. Ms O'Toole said councillors should ideally be paid a liveable wage to compensate them for the time they dedicate to the job. But she said it was not possible in smaller communities like Balonne, where councillors salaries would rise to just over $62,000 a year. "The easy argument would be, 'Let's increase their remuneration to actually compensate people for the time that they contribute,'" she said. "But then that actually comes from our ratepayers. "For those councils like ours that have a low-rate base, you have to be really mindful that you know every dollar that we spend comes from homes. "I don't know if there's an easy answer in it but it is something that we really are challenged by in rural and remote areas." However, Mr Mackenzie said he did not think the role should be considered a full-time job regardless of the size of the council. "There's a lot of people who get in on councils now that don't actually have a lot of life experience and they're just wanting to be a councillor,' he said. "As mayor, I wanted councillors to keep doing their normal day job because I thought it was the best way to stay involved with the community and consult the community. "It's becoming a full-time job and they're creating more and more work for councillors to do but I don't know if they actually achieve any more." Former Balonne councillor Rod Avery decided not to run for re-election in 2024 because, like Mr Southern, he faced mounting business commitments. "There's a balancing act there, especially for those of us [who are the] main principal of your business," he said. "If you're a sole sort of trader, it gets a bit hard but you know you can at certain times balance what's going on." Local Government Association of Queensland chief executive officer Alison Smith said the role of a councillor could be very rewarding, but it came at a cost. "Councils and councillors are critical to successful, liveable communities," she said. "It is a huge job that can take a toll on councillors and their families as well as impact their livelihoods and businesses, but one that we all need to continue to attract the best possible candidates to put their hands up for their local communities."
The Herald
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
MEC removes Knysna speaker Skosana as a councillor
Western Cape local government MEC Anton Bredell has removed Knysna speaker Mncedisi Skosana as a councillor. Bredell announced his decision on Friday in a letter to Knysna mayor Thando Matika and municipal manager Lulamile Mapholoba. In April 2023, the provincial local government department established an investigative committee to examine multiple allegations against councillors and provide recommendations. The investigation followed a council resolution in 2022 to create seven support staff positions in the offices of Aubrey Tsengwa, Alberto Marbi and Skosana. The investigation recommended that Skosana, former mayor Tsengwa and deputy mayor Marbi, of the PBI, be removed from office. Bredell has also ordered Skosana to repay 20% of all allowances he received as a councillor and speaker. Bredell first requested the three to make representations to him on the recommendations, before taking action. Tsengwa and Marbi both resigned as councillors to avoid Bredell's sanctions. In his letter, Bredell said that the council resolution of the meeting of September 16 2022 to create support staff positions in the offices of the mayor, deputy mayor and speaker for political appointees breached the code of conduct for councillors. 'It is critical to state that as a councillor, Skosana was obliged to perform his functions honestly, in good faith, acting, at all times, in a transparent manner and in the best interests of the municipality, to ensure that the integrity and credibility of the municipality is not compromised,' Bredell wrote. 'In relation to the sanctions as recommended by the committee, and the seriousness of the infringement committed by your client, I concur to the sanction of removal as councillor. 'In addition, as to the recommendations of the fines by the committee, I resolve to impose a total fine of 20% of councillor Skosana's month's allowance which should be deducted from monies due and payable to him.' ANC Knysna regional spokesperson Moyisi Magalela noted the ruling delivered by Bredell and the findings of the investigation. 'We are currently studying the contents of the report and its implications, and we will engage with our legal representatives to consider all appropriate steps forward. 'It is important to note that Mr Bredell is a senior politician and a member of the DA. 'In light of this, we question the objectivity and impartiality of the investigation and its outcomes,' Magalela said. 'It is our considered view that the DA has continuously sought to destabilise the municipality, which is currently governed by a progressive coalition committed to service delivery and clean governance.' Meanwhile, DA Knysna constituency head Ryan Smith welcomed the decision. 'Councillor Skosana's dismissal comes as a result of the DA Knysna caucus's tireless multiyear fight to combat maladministration and corruption in our town. 'This included alerting the provincial department of local government of severe governance irregularities and misconduct under the ANC, PA, EFF, PBI coalition of corruption,' Smith said. The Herald
BBC News
25-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
'I was homeless and slept in my car - now I'm Cheshire East's mayor'
It was 2012 when David Edwardes found himself with nowhere to go and ended up sleeping in his returned to Cheshire after being unable to make a living with his family in nowhere to stay and being "more or less broke", he said he slept in the vehicle in Macclesfield Forest, an area of woodland and reservoirs in the hills above the 13 years later he has just been elected as the mayor of Cheshire East by his fellow councillors. "I came back to the UK with my tail between my legs, I just couldn't make a living in Spain and we were there a long time," he told BBC Politics North West."I couldn't find anywhere to live or stay and I came up here and parked up one weekend and stayed there and slept in the car".Here was a small parking area next to Ridgegate is a beautiful spot surrounded by greenery and nature, and Edwardes said it was "very peaceful", although he did get questioned by a local police officer following reports of a stolen vehicle."A councillor who I went to school with contacted me and said 'I'll find a place for you' and he found a place in a friend of his' house. I stayed there until I got more or less sorted out," he said. He has done various roles over the years, including working at his family business making curtains, running pubs and acting as an it was a play area that led to him deciding to enter politics."If there's a catalyst, there was a play area in Tytherington and it was dreadful," he said."There were the officials standing there, grinning away and saying how marvellous it was and the local people in Tytherington were really upset about it, and I thought 'I think I can do better than that'", he said."I don't know quite how I've become mayor of Cheshire East Council, but it happened anyway."He credited a bit of "luck", adding: "If I'm totally honest with you, I'm not politically driven, I'm an independent."It's a very nice job that I'm enjoying, but it is only for a year". 'Love every cobbled street' Edwardes said he was reminded of a comment from one of his friends from his local pub."He says 'money's not important in life, the important thing is to be lucky', and I like to think I've just been fortunate with the way things have gone."So what do his friends in the pub think about him being mayor now?"They take the mickey out of me and they go 'hey mayor, hey mayor'," he said, adding that they do also bow to him in a jokey way."They never give me any sort of hassle or problems about the bins or if there's a pothole, they leave me alone."He was elected mayor at Cheshire East's full council meeting earlier this his time in the position, he said he wanted to meet everyone in the borough who turns 100."I don't know if it's possible but I thought it can't be a huge amount of people who reach 100," he said."But I don't know and I'll probably be inundated with them."Edwardes said the reason he did what he did was because of his love of the local area."I just love Macclesfield, I love every cobbled street and every house, and all the people are fantastic and it's the same with the borough, I just love the whole of Cheshire East."It's a lovely, lovely place." See more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.
