A pretty UK seaside village becomes a ghost town in the winter because of rich second homeowners who only use their homes during the summer. Polruan, in Cornwall, is a bustling tourist hub during the summer months, but during winter it falls quiet.
While this is expected given Cornwall’s most profitable time is the summer, each year the village becomes quieter because of a rise in second homeowners who don’t return over Christmas and throughout winter.
According to a 2021 survey, around 52 percent of properties were holiday rentals or second homes.
ITV reported that around Fowey Parish Council found that under half, 48 percent, of permanent residences lived in Polruan. This imbalance between permanent and temporary residences means that Polruan becomes a ‘ghost town’ during winter.
John Adams, who has lived in Polruan for around 75 years, said Polruan was “dead” with “no life really at all”.
He told ITV: “When you walk down the street in the winter there’s hardly any lights on in any of the houses or if you’re working on the ferries at night, you don’t see hardly any lights on the harbour.”
Mr Adams isn’t the only resident who feels this way, but other permanent residents have said they regret moving to the area.
Julie Gibbon moved into her Airbnb property with her husband after they retired but have not relished their new lifestyle.
She said: “I think this place is wonderful as a holiday destination but for me personally, to live here, maybe because we live in downtown Fowey, it’s just too quiet.
“When I go back to visit my children up in Buckinghamshire, London, I just feel like back in civilisation.”
Polruan is just one of several ghost towns and comes as Cornwall faces being overrun by second homeowners who leave their properties empty and price locals out of the area.
A recent survey found that Cornwall had more second homes than anywhere else in the country, enraging campaigners who say it is time for change.
Rebecca Moore, Director of Action on Empty Homes said: “It beggars belief that while children are growing up sharing beds in temporary accommodation, our nation has over a quarter of a million homes sitting empty. To say this is a national disgrace is a profound understatement.
“A new national empty homes programme is long overdue – the government needs to step up to the plate and offer funding and incentives to get these homes back into use.
“Long-term empties are a huge missed opportunity to invest in green retrofit and create new jobs.
“Action on Empty Homes calls on Government to introduce a new national empty homes programme to create additional housing supply for those in most housing need, utilising properties currently left vacant or in need of renovation.”
