The head of a parish council in a village known as ‘Chelsea on Sea’ who stirred controversy by asserting that there was ‘genuine hatred’ towards second home owners in the vicinity has stepped down.
Dennis Clark, 77, faced calls to step down and was refused entry to some businesses in Burnham Market, Norfolk, last year.
It came after he made comments in a newspaper accusing second home owners of turning the place into ‘something resembling Center Parcs.’
Today the retired oil worker confirmed he had resigned as chairman of the town’s parish council.
The Georgian village is nicknamed Chelsea-on-Sea locally because of the high number of properties owned by Londoners.
Affluent urban residents are drawn to the region to spend time in weekend residences or vacation rentals, keen on enjoying the nearby unspoiled countryside, stunning coastal areas, and wildlife such as seals and migrating birds.
Their patronage has seen businesses level up, with a selection of upmarket restaurants, gastro pubs and charming independent shops to choose from.
However, the arrival of outsiders has led to a surge in property prices, making it difficult for local residents to afford homes in the area and forcing essential workers to commute from nearby villages.
Mr Clark initially stood his ground over his comments, saying he would not be ‘bullied.’
Dennis Clark (pictured), 77, faced calls to step down last year and was refused entry to some businesses in Burnham Market, Norfolk, last year following comments in he made in a newspaper
The Georgian town is nicknamed Chelsea-on-Sea locally because of the high number of properties owned by Londoners. The influx of outsiders has seen house prices skyrocket leaving locals unable to afford homes in the area and key workers having to commute from surrounding villages
Tim Roberts (pictured), owner of NoTwenty9 restaurant and three shops in Burnham, had called for Mr Clark to resign and described the comments as ‘incendiary and uncalled for’
Now parish council minutes reveal his resignation, stating fellow councillor Keith Morris has been elected as the council’s new chairman.
When contacted, Mr Clark confirmed he had stood down, adding: ‘I felt I’d come to the end of my term.’
But he declined to elaborate further on his reasons.
Mr Clark made his controversial remarks in an interview about the impact of second homes on the area, which has one of the UK’s highest concentrations of such properties.
He said: ‘They have turned our beautiful village into something resembling Center Parcs.
‘None of the people who work in the village can afford to live here, we don’t have a village cricket or football team any more.
‘Obviously traders in the village benefit massively, and estate agents make a fortune, but there is also a lot of anger.’
Mr Clark had previously said calls for his resignation were a ‘witch hunt’ and he would not resign as he had ‘done nothing wrong’.
Second homes have become a flashpoint in the Burnhams and along the Norfolk coast, where around half of properties are now lock and leaves or holiday lets.
Locals fear the boom in second homes and holiday lets has driven up house prices, caused a shortage of rented properties and ‘hollowed-out’ communities.
The average cost of a property in the quaint Georgian village currently sits at an eye-watering £1 million.
Wealthy city dwellers flock to the area to stay in weekend homes or holiday rentals, eager to take advantage of the nearby unspoiled countryside, breathtaking stretches of coastline and wildlife including seals and migrating birds
David Howell, 51, a shop assistant in Gun Hill Clothing shop on the high street who was born and raised in Burnham Market, said: ‘I do not think second homes should be barred because they’re bringing money into the village’
Some business owners said that Mr Clark had made ‘a fuss out of nothing’ and added that without the wealth that has flooded in from the capital they would struggle to survive. Pictured: Burnham Market
The situation reached boiling point in October 2023 when residents voted overwhelmingly to stop outsiders from buying second homes.
More than 80 per cent supported the ban, which will prevent existing homes being turned into holiday retreats and require all new developments to be ‘principal residences’.
Among those backing the ban was Stephanie Worsley, 76, who said: ‘It’s important for people to be able to buy locally so we can keep local families here.
‘My children have all grown up and moved away. There are families who need to be able to buy their own houses to be able to live in the village.
‘It’s been a problem for a few years now. The prices have gone up because people who buy second homes can afford to pay for them.’
Nina Plumbe, 73, complained: ‘My daughter is 42 and lives in a three-bedroom rented cottage with four children. They can’t afford the homes around here. It’s become a crisis.’
Retired shop owner Sally Whitworth, 71, said second home owners should only be allowed if they pay eye-watering amounts for the privilege.
‘We should charge them three times the council tax. They should have to pay extra for rubbish collection,’ she insisted.
But MailOnline research revealed that the issue is not so cut and dried, with business owners in particular saying that Mr Clark had made ‘a fuss out of nothing’ and claiming that they couldn’t survive without the wealth that has flooded in from the capital.
One – who wanted to remain anonymous – said: ‘Second home owners and especially the holiday lets bring in a lot of trade to us especially in the summer time – without it we might not be here.’
‘I have never once had an issue with them and while it might be the case that a minority dislike them, everyone I have spoken to is more than happy to accommodate them.’
Tim Roberts, owner of NoTwenty9 restaurant and three shops in Burnham, had called for Mr Clark to resign and described the comments as ‘incendiary and uncalled for’.
Harvey Butler, 70, a builder who lives with his partner in a large detached house near the village centre, agreed, claiming well-heeled visitors were the lifeblood of the community.
‘If there were no second homes there would be no village. There would be no petrol stations, no shops, no restaurants for people,’ he said.
He added: ‘There used to be jobs in agriculture and fishing here. But farmers who used to employ 20 people now only employ two and there’s only one fisherman left. If there were no second homes there would be no jobs.
‘This Neighbourhood plan won’t stop the second homes. People will just buy a new house in the name of a company. There’s ways around it.’
David Howell, 51, a shop assistant in Gun Hill Clothing shop on the high street who was born and raised in Burnham Market, agreed saying: ‘I do not really think second homes should be barred because they’re bringing money into the village.
‘If we do not have these people coming in, we wouldn’t have the shops.
‘Some people just don’t like change. The generation of locals like to keep things as they were. I can see the younger people do not have a house to live in but they sold off all the council houses and younger people have been forced to move to places where it’s cheaper, like Fakenham.’
