Residents living in a town loved by posh celebrities claim that hordes of wealthy visitors are pricing them out. Many rich and famous celebrities have been visiting Dartmouth in Devon with I’m a Celeb and Made in Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo famously celebrating her birthday there in 2022.
Locals believe that with the influx of rich and famous people, the town has become unaffordable for the residents.
Garage owner Gareth Hobrow, 46, told DevonLive: “There are two types of people in Dartmouth.There are people who have more money than sense, and people who have no money, and there’s very little in between.
“I get more of the people who don’t have so much who are just trying to keep their cars going really.
“This end of Dartmouth could be anywhere, it isn’t the most beautiful of places. It could even be the back end of London. It’s nice down the bottom, but at the top, it’s mundane. It’s ok. It’s a bit hit and miss.”
Born-and-bred local John Perry, 70, said: “Anything you want in Dartmouth is two or three times as much as you can get it elsewhere.
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“It’s no surprise some of the shops shut. I do very little shopping in Dartmouth, mostly I do mine down in Paignton because it’s cheaper.”
“In the summertime, the visitors can be a complete pain, they don’t know what pavements are for.
“They are walking in the middle of the road, and they wonder why drivers get uptight with them.”
Carole Phipps, 83, said: “When they advertise these houses, they all say they are affordable, but they are not affordable for local people.
“You just don’t get the wages down here. It’s awful, so people have to go out of town to find jobs.”
Beryl Penny, 75, said: “Dartmouth has changed a lot over the years.
“We used to have a lot of individual shops all those years ago.
“The supermarkets swamped the town and that’s what has closed all the little shops.
“I was born here, but I wouldn’t move now.
“It would be better if we had better bus services because you have to change a couple of times to get anywhere.”
