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AIBU

Retirees bombarding our beautiful rural seaside area

(363 Posts)
Specs Sun 14-Apr-19 00:09:07

Okay,I think I am going to get bashed. Sorry folks who have retired to their holiday paradise land.
Our area is predominantly rural, with few large employers generating good incomes and thus pension pots are often low. But the big bonuses are beautiful scenery, beaches, no huge roads, friendly people and very little crime. Many of us are related, have long working relationships with each other, our children went to school together, we have kept local traditions going, supported countryside sports, football, rowing etc. In other words we have deep understanding and ties with each other and the land. We know the skeletons in our neighbours cupboards and that also bonds us.
But our lives have changed rapidly in recent years. There has always been a trickle of retirees. They have been welcomed and in their turn they have enriched our local community. Now virtually every time a house is sold it goes to an outsider. Often a cash buyer with a bigger pot of gold who can move quickly unlike the local person who cannot proceed with such speed.
Just like the icecaps our indigenous community is melting away because of the flood of retirees. Not only does it affect us as individuals, it affects our schools, sports clubs, our doctors surgery, our care of the elderly services etc.
Committees are often taken over by well meaning and well educated folk who have excessive time on their hands. Local knowledge is often not present anymore. Whenever a local entrepreneur wants to develop a business or a building project goes before planning there is a tremendous hue and cry. The new comers fight it with a vengeance. NIMBY. Social housing, so long as it isn’t next to the incomers.
Why do people retire to an area they have little connection with? Why do they in later years leave their friends and connections behind? Friends are quite different from acquaintances.

Evie64 Sun 14-Apr-19 00:19:21

I make you right! We live in Exeter and I can't believe how many non Devonians we now have, and as for the Labour Council who give planning permissions out willy nilly for more and more "luxury student housing". Not happy.........

janeainsworth Sun 14-Apr-19 00:21:05

Why don’t you tell us where you live, then we can all avoid you.
I wouldn’t want to live in such an unwelcoming community.

SueDonim Sun 14-Apr-19 01:02:23

Presumably, it's members of the 'indigenous community' who are selling their homes to these tiresome newcomers.

paddyann Sun 14-Apr-19 01:04:48

specs what we used to call white settlers.there are now over 800,000 people of English birth living in Scotland ,one wonders if its a resettlement thing like NI in the past.It certainly changes the vote here in areas where there are big numbers.On the other hand theres a large English born for Yes contingent so maybe its swings and roundabouts.The main problem we have with English folk is they refuse to accept theres no trespass laws and stick big signs up warning people off ...and they get very annoyed when told they cant stop us .In the main they tend to mix well and contribute to the community and as long as they do that then they'll be welcome .You should make friends with them they're people just like you and me .

SueDonim Sun 14-Apr-19 01:21:55

Wow, Paddyann you've really shown your true colours now. 'We' and 'they'? shock

notanan2 Sun 14-Apr-19 03:35:44

We get a lot of "London money" coming in where I live. They are as entitled to live here as we are I KNOW that.

It is still however a bit galling when all properties get snapped up for cash buyers.

And YY to the newbie eager beavers joining and taking over comittees. I sound insular, I'm not, I mean things like this:

One of our local primary school's PTA had a bit of a London Newbie takeover. They were keen. TOO keen. They vetoed the usual format for the summer fete (apparently not "outside the box" enough).

The result: an all singing all dancing extravaganza with an equally extravagent entry fee that many families could not afford.

They failed to appreciate the mixed demographic of the area. The entry fee meant that many kids were excluded from attending at all.

The boring old format excluded noone: free entry, some free activities. Then spend as little or as much as you wanted on raffle tickets etc.

I am getting a bit vexed with some of the newbies not just joining committees (which would be fine if they were willing to listen and learn) and then telling us all what we want and need...

sigh.

notanan2 Sun 14-Apr-19 03:39:04

It is not all incomers at all. Most are fine.

The ones that dominate and take over and try to make where they moved to mini london (why not stay there then?) and push every one else out of the way while they try to engineer the small town into the dream new life they have promised themselves it to be, even if it means squashing square boxes into round holes despite pleas not to...

notanan2 Sun 14-Apr-19 03:52:58

Presumably, it's members of the 'indigenous community' who are selling their homes to these tiresome newcomers

Not really. A lot of invester by-to-lets being off loaded at the mo.

So not only can established members of the community not get a look in with regards to buying. They are also being evicted from their lets as they are sold....

Cash buyers are rarely local and noone can compete. Its just not a level playing field.

And thats the thing. In the influx was people on the same footing as locals it wouldnt sting, y'know?

I dont think there should be any restrictions per say, Im just explaining the vexations and it has nothing to do with being unwelcoming.

How can it NOT be disheartening to those who can never compete with "london money"? The local jobs are steady average salary type jobs.

Cosmos Sun 14-Apr-19 03:56:31

I agree it must be difficult for local people. Unfortunately, it's a familiar story everywhere with a lifestyle people crave, doing the family tree it's amazing how people travelled hundreds of miles, leaving family, they probably wouldn't see because of cost and distance, to get work and a better life.

notanan2 Sun 14-Apr-19 04:02:50

I think there are good ways and bad ways to be the newbie. Its the very good and very awful ones who stand out. The averagey ones go unnoticed...

GrandmainOz Sun 14-Apr-19 04:55:21

My little country town has changed enormously over the last decade or so. "Treechangers" as they're called, selling their properties for a fortune in the city then snapping up houses for cash here. Prices have gone through the roof. Local youngsters don't have a hope.
Also people buying weekenders and using them as Air b n B's in their absence. The rental stock has correspondingly vanished and the little that is available is ludicrously expensive: I'm hearing of young families finding themselves homeless which is a horrifying development.
Plus they all start campaigning against anything and everything such as a new carpark for the railway station as it would spoil the view. Galling when that car park is only necessary now that we have a huge influx of commuters leaving their cars wherever they can squeeze them - often blocking the pavement and people's homes!!
GP's lists are all full. Parking has become a nightmare. I just wonder sometimes how many more people we can physically fit in!

GrandmainOz Sun 14-Apr-19 04:56:24

*GPs'

craftyone Sun 14-Apr-19 04:57:06

I blame escape to the country. We have londoners in my village who have escaped from london for very good reasons, we are lucky, they are nice and take part in activities. Times change op I am afraid, many of us don`t like change but it is what it is. I don`t like ghettos of any sort and particularly the new ones that have been thrust upon cities up and down the land but if people integrate and are kind, then goood for them

Transport and lack of local shop,s is a bigger problem than housing. No buses, people cannot get to work except by car. Not everyone can afford to run a car or two cars and buy a house

BlueBelle Sun 14-Apr-19 05:19:21

Bloody hell No one owns anywhere, no one has rights to say who comes to their village, town, country We need to mix it up a whole lot more our indigenous community is melting blimey sounds incestuous
Hooray for change, hooray for mixing up the stock, hooray for movement, hooray for a bit of difference

Grandma70s Sun 14-Apr-19 05:42:49

I agree with Bluebelle. Surely there are no closed communities, so why call people incomers? Are there no outgoers, i.e. people with a bit of a sense of adventure who move out of these tight-knit, narrow communities to get a taste of elsewhere? It would be my first instinct if I lived in one of them. I wouldn't want to stay.

Iam64 Sun 14-Apr-19 07:29:39

Count your blessings and stop grumbling. There are so many areas of the country that would be delighted to have incomers with money to invest locally. I understand the housing issue but in many northern towns, the incomers are mostly asylum seekers, refugees or other poor and disadvantaged people who are dispersed from London or the south east because rents are cheaper in the north west/north east.
I'm not complaining about offering support to disadvantaged groups wherever they come from. Compare and contrast though, the complaints about 'wealthy educated well meaning' people who get involved in local issues, so contributing time and money with the needs of the disadvantaged folks being shipped out of the south east. Many need a lot of support including housing, health, education and psychological help. Rochdale has the highest number of asylum seekers and like other towns in the north west is doing a sterling job in supporting them

Talk about a tale of two cities

notentirelyallhere Sun 14-Apr-19 07:41:08

People have always retired to the country but I can see it's difficult for residents. In many places, retirees replace the younger generation because its quite unusual for a rural area to have enough employment and the young like to spread their wings.

Hasn't it all got worse of late because of our rising population and the property market, especially in London and the South East? We moved south west because where we lived had two universities and a huge hospital. In the 30 years we lived there, the ring road went from having a few cars on it and being an easy way to cross town to being permanently gridlocked! It became a very stressful place to live.

It's crowded where we are now and it's obvious that the population is growing here too. I've found it hard to make friends but I'm working at it. I think families are more scattered now and people are busy and don't talk like they used to. Change happens, I can't see it getting better.
P. S. Re Scotland, I know a few people who have moved there for political reasons and a better health care system.

notanan2 Sun 14-Apr-19 07:42:14

Bloody hell No one owns anywhere, no one has rights to say who comes to their village, town, country

No one is saying they do.

But I dont believe anyone who claims that they would be happy to be a worker in a town where there was no scope for people on average salaries for that region/town to hope to get a home!

notanan2 Sun 14-Apr-19 07:53:47

Its not about not welcoming new people

Its about the people coming in who have purchasing power that local workers and professionals just cant compete with.

Its similar to how Portugese people are very welcoming AND ALSO unhappy about the influx of foreign cash wiping out the ecosystems and pricing out young families.

Being welcoming AND being upset about how unfair it is are not mutually exclusive

Cosmos Sun 14-Apr-19 07:55:08

If people retire there, they contribute to the local economy and hopefully try not to upset local life, like objecting to church bells ringing. however, to own a holiday home that stands idle with half the lights out in the winter, can't be acceptable when it pushes the price up so that the locals font live there. I wander if these homes ever get squatters in.

Anja Sun 14-Apr-19 07:56:13

No wonder immigrants get short shift when people from the same country are made so unwelcome.

crystaltipps Sun 14-Apr-19 08:14:06

Do no young folk move out of your rural community to get better jobs/ experience life elsewhere? Should they be criticised? Is it just wealthier retired folk you don’t want in your community? if it were a doctor or nurse coming in to work would you criticise them? This seems terribly divisive and discriminatory. Why don’t you campaign for a wall around your town and no one can come in or out- would that suit? These people are trying to build knowledge and connections by joining in, they are not isolating themselves and ignoring the locals they are bringing in some money and enthusiasm- tell them they aren’t welcome if that’s what you feel. Tell us where it is so we can avoid going there.

notanan2 Sun 14-Apr-19 08:19:01

Do no young folk move out of your rural community to get better jobs/ experience life elsewhere?

Why cant you see how uncomparable that is? They arent going to be outpricing everyone else where they go!

if it were a doctor or nurse coming in to work would you criticise them?

Also not comparable because it is doctor and nurse types who are priced out by the London money effect. Making recruiting and retaining these kinds of workers all the more difficult.

notanan2 Sun 14-Apr-19 08:20:59

No wonder immigrants get short shift when people from the same country are made so unwelcome.

They are not made unwelcome individuals may be very welcome indeed

It is the overall effect. Gentrification and pricing out of workers and professionals, which you cannot expect people to be happy about!