A PICTURE postcard seaside community is up in arms after an invasion of second home owners.
Angry residents in The Witterings in West Sussex say the beauty spot has been invaded by out-of-towners with flash cars and bags of money.
They say the collection of villages is beginning to resemble a suburb of London rather than a sleepy seaside community.
Locals say the unique laid-back character of the area is being “irreversibly damaged” by a clamour for holiday homes.
Now they have called for curbs to be introduced on the number of second homes and Airbnb properties.
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More than one in five properties in West Wittering is now a second home and in the nearby village of West Itchenor that figure is almost 40 percent.
Locals whose families have lived in the area for generations say they are being forced to move elsewhere with new-build homes costing £1m and upwards.
The Witterings has long been an attractive destination for holidaymakers due to the harbour, long sandy beach and good surfing.
Actor Kate Winslet and Rolling Stone Keith Richards both live in large homes in West Wittering and until recently singer Michael Ball also called the village his home.
But residents say the Covid pandemic has led to a huge influx of London buyers keen to have a seaside home.
Chloe Powell, a hairdresser and mother-of-one, said: “I’m born and bred in The Witterings and I can’t afford to buy here.
“My partner and I have been house-hunting and want to buy around here but it is just too expensive so we’re probably going to have to move out."
The 34-year-old added: “I think there needs to be some sort of cap on the number of second homes because for people like myself growing up in the area it’s making it impossible to buy a home.
"As a result families who rent can’t afford to get onto the property ladder - it’s wrong.
“We’re being out-priced. We’re being pushed out. There should be some sort of restriction placed by the council."
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'IT'S NOT FAIR'
Teaching assistant Jenny Redfern blasted: “The area is being irreversibly damaged and it’s got to stop. The number of second homes around here is ruining it.
"In the summer it is more like Chelsea-on-Sea with loads of posh cars blocking the streets and causing a nuisance.
“I’d like to see the council get a hold of the number of second homes and Airbnb properties being built here because the only people benefitting are estate agents.
“In the winter months you hardly see anyone. It’s so deserted with houses locked up and empty. I wouldn’t say its a ghost town but it is very, very quiet.”
The 39-year-old added: “It’s not fair on the locals when three-bedroom houses are being built that cost over £1m because how is any young family expected to get on the property ladder - it’s impossible."
Dawn Philips, 47, a manager, said her whole family back to her great-grandparents are from the area, but it's changed beyond all recognition.
She explained: “The area has changed from when I was little. The atmosphere and personality of this area has changed a lot - it is unrecognisable.
"A lot of people from London have homes here as they’re the ones with the money.
You can guarantee that new houses that are built here aren’t being built for people who live here already
Edward Bell, resident
“There are some beautiful places around here and they are simply shut up or they become Airbnb rentals and no-one wants to live next to an Airbnb house because it is a party house."
Edward Bell, 84, who moved to the area from Hampshire 25 years ago, fumed at greedy second home hawks eager to cash in on his seaside village.
He said: “You can guarantee that new houses that are built here aren’t being built for people who live here already.
"They’re being built as rental businesses and they will be empty half the year and no-one will be in them.
"There are two new houses going up near me and they’re £1m each and you can bet they’ll be second homes."
Mr Bell, a retired university administrator, went on: “I don’t think it’s necessarily good for local businesses. I think it’s good for estate agents, that’s for sure. It’s local people that drive the economy.
"I’d like to see the council take steps to safeguard properties for local people."
'SEWAGE OVERFLOWING'
Cllr Graeme Barrett, of Chichester District Council said legislation which would empower local authorities to charge elevated Council Tax for second homes was “long overdue” in places like The Witterings.
He said: “It’s a really beautiful area with many attractions. But the problem is it is attracting people with very deep pockets and it is forcing locals to move elsewhere.
"I’d like to see a cap on new homes being built. There has to be more controls on the number of new people moving to the area."
Cllr Barrett - an Independent candidate in the May elections after sitting as a Conservative councillor - also warned the sewerage system is overflowing thanks to the influx.
Another 200 homes have been approved to be built in the area over the coming years.
But some residents say the influx of money, faces and new money helps bolster the local economy.
Hilary Scrivens, 76, who moved to The Witterings 22 years ago, said: “House prices have gone up but... They go to the grocers, the butchers, the bakers.
"It’s a shame that some homes aren't used a bit more. They have the shutters down and are locked up but on the whole I don’t think the arrival of people from outside is a bad thing."
Craig Jiggins, 59, from West London is retiring to The Witterings after falling in love with the area after first coming down on family holidays as a child.
The former air traffic control manager said: “I’m moving here for nostalgic reasons. I love it round here. It’s so beautiful and relaxing round here. You get a buzz when you’re here.
"From what I remember it hasn’t changed too much."
