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Original poster

So can we now go to second homes?

222 replies

1981m · 10/05/2020 20:44

Exactly that really.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Movinghouseatlast · 12/05/2020 09:56

It is no anywhere. It was said quite specifically.

merrymouse · 12/05/2020 10:09

Article on news last night. Message from The Lakes is a loud and clear “stay away”.

The message isn't clear if it can't be enforced and is not backed up by government advice.

Chillipeanuts · 12/05/2020 10:12

Merrymouse

“The message isn't clear if it can't be enforced and is not backed up by government advice.”

Oh, I agree.

As we watched the senior police officer telling people to stay away, we said to each other, there are going to be a lot of problems. Two authorities, Government and police forces, giving out completely opposing directives.

F1ftyCents · 12/05/2020 10:15

1.9 Are day trips and holidays ok? Can people stay in second homes?
Day trips to outdoor open space, in a private vehicle, are permitted. You should practise social distancing from other people outside your household.

Leaving your home - the place you live - to stay at another home for a holiday or other purpose is not allowed. This includes visiting second homes.

Advice re second homes is pretty clear. It’s a no. They are upping fines, some seem quite steep. I suspect they’ll use those like they have already.

ErrolTheDragon · 12/05/2020 10:29

The government has said you can go out^^ if you maintain social distancing. Your right is conditional on your responsibility.

The police in various areas are advising people to stay away because they know the conditions locally, that it's likely not to be possible. Police in places like the lakes know how irresponsibly many people behaved a couple of weeks ago.

Firstly, if you arrive in a popular place and can't park safely and legally, you'll have to turn around and go home. Are you ok with driving a long way for a wasted trip?
If people park dangerously or obstructively in gates or passing places then they're liable to be done for it - normal rules of the road still apply.

Secondly if you can park but there are enough people already there that you can't maintain adequate distancing, same applies - go home or face a fine (and probably altercations with other people if you're trying to find a spot on a beach or in a park.)

emmskie03 · 12/05/2020 10:32

For goodness sake, the OP was only asking. It is totally unnecessary to start with the name calling.

I come from a tourist area. The snarky rude comments are seriously off putting for tourists who ensure the economic wellbeing of the area.

Those second home owners pay their council tax, paying into the pot that provide us all with services. Maybe we can treat them with a bit of decency, like we would treat the other people who live round us rather than being so unkind.

ThursdayLastWeek · 12/05/2020 11:06

Well anyway.

Isn’t the point that the advice is so vague, people do what they think is right and if the R rate goes up its all Joe Publics fault.

Turning on each other doesn’t stop anyone getting covid.

NoMorePoliticsPlease · 12/05/2020 11:08

NO! you cant

ErrolTheDragon · 12/05/2020 12:26

Isn’t the point that the advice is so vague, people do what they think is right

There is nothing vague about whether you can go to second homes, the OP could easily have ascertained that by means other than starting an MN thread.

merrymouse · 12/05/2020 12:52

The advice is clear on second homes, but because of the advice on day trips it doesn't make sense, so the message is undermined.

F1ftyCents · 12/05/2020 13:38

It does make sense. Surely they’re trying to stop cram packed beaches and popular holiday towns. By stopping overnight visits they’re avoiding these areas getting over run as it keeps the numbers down but still allows people to seek out outdoor spaces that aren’t too busy.

BubblyBarbara · 12/05/2020 13:47

Firstly, if you arrive in a popular place and can't park safely and legally, you'll have to turn around and go home. Are you ok with driving a long way for a wasted trip?

It's not like there are entire sections of the countries where you can't park at all. You just might have a 10 minute walk from where you can park.

Anyway, if the parking attendants aren't working like in our area, you can just park anywhere anyway, which you have to do because they've shut the beach car parks.

merrymouse · 12/05/2020 14:01

Surely they’re trying to stop cram packed beaches and popular holiday towns

No need for overnight stays to do that.

Millions of people live within an hour's drive of the coast, and plenty of people are prepared to drive for more than an hour to get to the beach particularly if their holiday has been cancelled and nothing else is open.

Alymcnabs · 12/05/2020 14:03

Can we now go to our second homes

A quick google would have told you the rule on this is clear. No!

So can we now go to second homes?
merrymouse · 12/05/2020 14:06

To be fair this question was posted on Sunday evening. I don't know whether this information was available then.

F1ftyCents · 12/05/2020 14:24

But Merry the numbers that will drive and go back home are only a certain amount. Letting people stay includes those nearer but also opens up popular areas to everybody else in the country. Stopping overnight stays limits numbers.

merrymouse · 12/05/2020 14:46

Very few people have second homes. Many, many people have a car.

ErrolTheDragon · 12/05/2020 14:55

It's not like there are entire sections of the countries where you can't park at all. You just might have a 10 minute walk from where you can park.

That's actually far from true in many country places with narrow lanes, and usually no parking allowed on larger ones. One of the walks were doing quite locally, for which the picnic site car park is shut, theres a lay-by which fits 4 cars, another which fits 2 cars a few miles down the valley, one 0.6 km along the road from that which fits 2, and then a space which fits 2 but only if the first car parks tidily a few miles up the valley. There's nowhere else safe to park. This really isn't unusual.

Even when all the Lake District car parks are open it can be impossible to find a parking place for some walks if you're not early.

It may well be different in seaside towns... but if more of the residents are at home than usual there may be very limited street parking.

F1ftyCents · 12/05/2020 15:29

It’s not just second homes it’s caravans, holiday cottages, campsites, hotels.... hoards descend and stay on top of those that can get there and back in a day. I could get to Cornwall and back in a day but wouldn’t bother as don’t want to sit in the car all day.

BubblesBuddy · 12/05/2020 15:38

I would have thought it might have been better to let people stay in their own second homes rather than allowing day trippers. I suppose they think if they are ill they will go home but they could be far more in number on any given day.

F1ftyCents · 12/05/2020 15:52

If you’re there you frequent the popular areas more for longer, shop etc too. I live in such an area. Day trippers keep to cars, fall out for a few hours and return. If ill you’re not going to go through a long car journey and be far away from a bed all in one day.You’ll use your hospital/ doctor at home. I’ve ventured out with dc when ill on holiday as paid for it then taken them back to bed. I’ve had kids on holiday and used doctors and A&E several times.Day tripper numbers are cut according to length of journey. In summer season popular areas fill up and stay full due to people staying there for a week or two, everything does( shops, A&E,doctors, beaches etc). Everybody needs to get plenty of exercise in their immediate area which many will drive to. They’ve decided no to overnight stays and it will help with numbers. That’s that for now they didn’t ban driving for exercise or day trippers but overnight stays.

merrymouse · 12/05/2020 15:53

It’s not just second homes it’s caravans, holiday cottages, campsites, hotels

But this thread is about second homes. I can look out my window now and see three second homes. One is empty, the other is semi permanently occupied by a family member and the other is arguably a 'first home', depending on whether the second home is where the family work or where they spend weekends.

There might be all sorts of reasons to object to second homes, but they aren't hotels or campsites where large numbers of people need to share facilities.

Meanwhile plenty of people can get to Brighton Beach in a couple of hours.

F1ftyCents · 12/05/2020 16:02

Second homes are often let out as holiday cottages. There are hoards of them in these areas making areas unrecognisable in the warmer months.

BubblesBuddy · 12/05/2020 16:22

Yes they can be let out but in this situation it would only be the owners allowed to use them. No commercial letting. That would cut numbers right down. Obviously it’s not happening but I think owners tend to stay in their homes a bit more doing maintenance etc. Especially now. For some it is their business and they should be able to check up on it before any commercial letting is allowed.

F1ftyCents · 12/05/2020 16:29

How would you know though and it would still be added pressure on services.

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