MP SARAH Wollaston has accused second home owners of sucking the life out of South Hams communities.

In a series of hard-hitting tweets the MP declared that the district does not need any more second homes, which she claimed can turn local communities into 'ghost towns'.

She pointed out that too many young people cannot even afford to rent a home in the area, let alone buy one.

She warned that the level of second home ownership across the district is 'now making life miserable for young people in South Devon'.

Now the MP has asked constituents to tweet her back with new ideas on how to supply 'genuinely' affordable housing.

Dr Wollaston won qualified support from Rob Wheeler, the Mayor of Salcombe, which boasts the highest number of second homes in the South Hams, with Dartmouth running a close second.

'I believe second homes have a detrimental effect on the price of low-cost homes,' said Cllr Wheeler, although he added that 'equally, Salcombe would have suffered without the jobs second home owners and tourism provide.

'One major positive

is that Salcombe is embarking on its Neighbourhood Plan. The Town Council is appealing to the community to show interest, join in and help shape Salcombe's future. The Neighbourhood Plan can put policies in place that balance things

such as open-market

new builds and local housing needs.'

Three years ago there were 4,162 houses

in the South Hams

with owners claiming second home discounts. Salcombe had the highest count with 692, followed by Dartmouth with 628. The number in Kingsbridge was 186, while Totnes had 101.

Ivybridge only had 15, but small parishes, including Newton and Noss and Thurlestone, had 118 and 209 respectively.

House prices in the South Hams have risen to become the highest in the region, while wages still remain well below average.

At the weekend the tweeting MP fired off a broadside at second home owners whose houses are left empty most of the year. She declared: 'We need more affordable homes, but we don't need more second homes. Our economy can benefit from second homes if they are also let out, but selfish ghost towns/

villages just suck the life out of our communities.'

Cllr Wheeler said: 'It's a complex subject that demands more than a one-dimensional point of view. What's desperately needed is solid funding sources for low-cost local housing and specific policies within planning that offer some control over what appears to be a feeding frenzy of open-market development.

'While there is some low-cost housing planned, the cost still appears high for people on local wages. It would seem sensible that the Government should prioritise 'living low-cost house prices' and not allow popular second-home towns such as Salcombe and its buoyant house prices to influence local prices in the way that they do at the moment.'

For more information on Salcombe's Neighbourhood Plan, visit http://www.salcombe">www.salcombe plan.org.

Stokenham parish councillor Josh Gardner said: 'The housing survey we carried out in the parish showed what people needed was affordable rented homes. Affordable housing is still not affordable enough for many people.

'Second home owners do things in the local area and support local businesses when they're here, as well as supporting things such as letting agencies when they're not here.

'Communities can still come together around second homes. There's still a community in Salcombe.'