An MP has called for stricter rules to address the disparity between the availability of holiday lets and homes for residents.

Alison Hume, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, has asked the Government to “move at pace” to give councils new licensing and planning powers to address a lack of housing, especially on the Yorkshire coast.

The Yorkshire Dales has also been badly affected by a shortage of affordable homes for local people.

Speaking during a Westminster Hall debate on the regulation of short-term lets, Ms Hume said: “Scarborough and Whitby are understandably popular destinations for holidays and short breaks, but the impact of short-term holiday lets is forcing people out of the towns.

“Today there are only seven homes available to rent on Rightmove in the Whitby area, while there are 300 properties on short-term let platforms.”

There are more than 8,000 second homes in North Yorkshire, the highest number in the region, many of which are located on the coast, including in Whitby and Scarborough.

Earlier this year, the Conservative-led North Yorkshire Council voted to approve a 100 per cent premium for council tax bills on second homes in the county from April 2025.

The authority has said the tax could raise up to £16.5m a year in additional revenue which could be put into building more affordable housing.

The Local Government Association (LGA) said that the impacts of short-term letting were felt across the country with some councils reporting growth of between 30-52 per cent in short-term lets.

Commenting on the Westminster Hall debate on Thursday, September 12, the LGA said it had been raising concerns about the impact of unregulated growth in this sector “for some time”.

It added that the issue “indicates the need for regulation that allows local discretion and implementation, ensuring that the response is proportionate while also enabling those places with significant impact on their communities to take action”.

In May, North Yorkshire Council also approved an “ambitious” plan to build at least 500 council homes in the county.

In an interview with the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) last week, York and North Yorkshire’s mayor, David Skaith, said: “The average house price in the county is about nine times the average salary, so how people can afford to stay in the region is a real challenge.”

However, Mr Skaith added: “The thing about the housing that we are creating is that the vast majority are affordable as well.”