Locals have grown weary of escalating property and service costsDan Taylor, Miles O’Leary Senior Content Editor and Hannah Broughton
10:18, 23 Aug 2025
Many homes in St Ives have become holiday rentals(Image: Getty)
A cherished Cornish town has come under fire in recent times for allowing tourists and second home buyers to inflate prices for local inhabitants.
St Ives, known for its stunning coastal charm, rich heritage, and thriving arts community, is a magnet for holidaymakers each year.
However, the local population is becoming increasingly exasperated with rising costs of properties and services.
In conversation with The Guardian, St Ives local Michael Bird said: “This beautiful town is buckling under the pressures of high-value overtourism and the relentless squeeze on what’s available for locals – the foundations, in other words, of sustainable community life.
“If you’re struggling to find a long-term residential let, let alone pay the rent, you’re not going to be able to cheer yourself up with a £29 seafood linguine from what was once an affordable local cafe.”
In 2016, St Ives conducted a referendum on second home ownership, where a resounding majority of over 80% of voters backed a “principal residence” policy for new property sales, as reported by the Express.
Yet, it seems this initiative hasn’t delivered the desired effect, with residents still aggrieved by the ongoing influx of second home purchasers, reports Cornwall Live.
The community had hoped that this limitation would allow them greater access to the housing market, but many are still struggling.
Local resident Ben Hodgkinson expressed his concerns to the BBC, saying: “Making housing affordable would be the number one challenge here. Local jobs are in short supply and wages are terrible.
“We wouldn’t be anywhere without tourism, but it pushes the prices up. It is a lovely place to be but lots of people can’t afford to stay here to live.”
Conversely, the holiday letting website carbisbayhotels.co.uk is marketing the town as an ideal spot for purchasing a second home, touting it as a “sound investment”.
They commented: “The market for staycations remains strong with 65% considering a stay in a holiday home this year and 56% considering two or more UK breaks.”
Despite Cornwall’s attempts to address the issue of second-home ownership affecting the availability of affordable housing, the problem persists.
Last year, Councillor Andrew Mitchell from the Halsetown Ward criticised a developer in St Ives for being “greedy” and using a legal loophole to turn hotel apartments into second homes.
In a council meeting, he stated: “A developer is hoping to steal from the community of St Ives at least 10-plus affordable homes which are due to this hotel being changed to apartments. It is not an aparthotel – it will never be an aparthotel.”