ABSTRACT
The focus of Part 2 of this book is ‘second homes in context’; that is located and discussed in the context of the United Kingdom (Chapters 4 and 6) and mainland Europe (Chapters 5 and 6). The material presented in these chapters draws on three main sources: firstly case study work undertaken for the Welsh Assembly Government and Countryside Agency in 2001 and 2002 respectively; secondly a review of past European studies carried out in 1996; and thirdly a review of housing pressure in rural parts of Europe for the Scottish Executive in 2000. We have brought these sources together here in order to offer a more localised analysis of second home ‘pressures’ and concerns in rural areas. This current chapter looks at local authority and National Park areas in England and Wales; the next chapter presents national overviews for various European countries with some local insights, and Chapter 6 compares British second home pressures to those experienced elsewhere in Europe. The overarching aim is to provide a body of evidence to illustrate some of the points made in Part 1, and also to provide a context in which to discuss policy options for the United Kingdom in Part 3.
