The decision to restrict second homes in an upmarket village known as Chelsea-on-Sea has triggered a civil war between neighbours.
The recent vote to curb the number of such properties in Burnham Market has provoked a furious reaction from some locals, who say it could destroy the community.
Businesses are particularly incensed with the move, which they say has left them “howling with anger”, adding that it will be catastrophic for the independent shops, pubs and restaurants that “make Burnham Market so special”.
Maxwell Graham-Wood, who owns Satchells wine merchants, said: “If we had to rely on local people for business then there wouldn’t be a single business left in the village because they don’t shop here.
“Businesses love second home owners and holiday makers, and the sooner these extremists can drop this ridiculous attitude towards the people that keep our economy going, the better.”
Arthur Howell, of Arthur Howell Butchers, agreed.
He said: “We need the business that holiday makers bring in over the summer to get us through the winter. It would be very worrying if that was to stop.
“The money we get from second home owners and tourists doesn’t just go to one business, because we use local builders, local cattle producers, and local plumbers.
“It would have a huge knock-on effect on the area if we lost that.”
The fury comes after a recent referendum saw 80pc of voters in Burnham Market back a bid to limit the number of second homes and holiday lets.
They say it is pushing up prices with the average house price in the north Norfolk village now £1m – which has made the area unaffordable for local young people.
It is estimated that one in four properties in Burnham Market is a second home, and the population has fallen by more than a fifth in just two decades.
Some 948 people lived in the village at the 2001 census. By the 2021 count, the number had fallen to 724.
Dennis Clark, chairman of Burnham Market parish council, said that the vote in favour “was very strong”.
He added: “We don’t want to keep people away from Burnham Market, but we want to encourage lower-cost housing so that the people who work here can live here. We need young people to be able to stay here to keep the village vibrant.”
Both Blakeney and Heacham have also held their own referendum where locals have voted in favour of limiting second home owners.
And more villages and towns on the north Norfolk coast are likely to follow suit.
North West Norfolk MP James Wild said second homes have been a growing concern locally.
“Many constituents have raised concerns about the impact of holiday lets and second homes and the government has already introduced measures to help strike a balance to have sustainable local communities and support tourism,” he said.
But he added that a blanket ban on second homes could lead to further issues.
He said: “Instead of a blanket approach it’s important to recognise that in different places different issues will arise and local people’s views should be listened to as part of fostering sustainable villages and coastal towns.”
The proposals approved in Burnham Market will see the introduction of new measures to curb second home owners, by putting conditions on all new developments requiring them to be 'principal residences' and a ban on existing homes being turned into holiday retreats.
It will become of the village's neighbourhood plan which will be used to guide West Norfolk Council when determining local planning applications.
But Mr Graham-Wood said: “Businesses need to be properly consulted on this.
“It will be very troubling news if we’re not listened to.”
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