Newquay Tourist Levy to help Housing Crisis reduction

Newquay has been in a housing crisis summer 2021 due to a combination of more tourists than ever visiting (as they can't travel abroad due to covid), people moving to Cornwall and the coast as they can now work from home (due to covid and internet improvements), and an increased interest in surfing (in the Olympics for the first time in 2021).

Many local residents of Newquay (and summer workforce) have struggled to find affordable accommodation as prices have risen significantly due to a combination of increased turning of longterm or lower cost flats and home rentals into AirBnB, sales due to stamp duty holiday, and a pre-existing challenges around insufficient affordable and social housing. Lack of affordable local housing in Newquay has also resulted in businesses (restaurants, etc) being unable to hire sufficient staff, and (along with covid outbreaks) affected shutdowns right when the town needs to make up income from the covid lockdowns. Some people have slept in cars longterm, and families who've been longterm residents face eviction as landlords convert homes to airbnb. In many cases, social housing from Cornwall Council has not been supported despite eligibility.

SOLUTION: Many cities in Europe and the UK (such as Edinburgh) charge a "Tourist Levy" of £/Euro 1-5 per person per night to help the cities pay with the challenges influxes of Tourists bring. 

Newquay needs to fund improved Beach and Parks waste and recycling management (with Cornwall Council and businesses such as Fistral beach management as relevant), and support for local housing (such as converting any unused Council property into emergency low cost housing for longterm low income Newquay residents, or compulsory purchase of longterm empty buildings to convert to social housing, etc). 

Sign this Petition to ask Newquay Council to start a Tourist Levy with funds raised ringfenced to be spent on: 

-beach and parks waste and recycling management, and 

-supporting access to housing, especially for those (including local families) needing emergency social housing.

This may mean Newquay Council asking Cornwall Council to ringfence the Tourist Levy earnings for spending on their work to house Newquay residents in need.

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