The average property price has dropped to £970,657, a 22% decrease from 2022 when it stood at over £1.2 million.
The introduction of a £10 daily parking charge has reportedly led to fewer day-trippers visiting Salcombe, Devon’s coastal gem recently crowned as the UK’s priciest seaside spot. Following a Lloyds report in May 2024, it was observed that Salcombe’s average property price had fallen to £970,657, showing a sharp 22% drop from 2022’s high of over £1.2 million.
Yet, Rightmove’s August figures state that Sandbanks and Canford Cliffs in Dorset have now eclipsed Salcombe with staggering average asking prices of £1.5 million and £1.2 million respectively. In Salcombe, second homes are prevalent, making up about 60% of the dwellings, prompting local councils to double council tax for these properties.
Visitors are now hit with the £10 daily parking fee, while residents can opt for an annual permit costing £5, which then allows usage of town car parks at £8 per day.
Local business proprietors are voicing concerns that this is driving away crucial business.
Beck Gordon, a local cafe and fishmonger proprietor, said: “It’s quieter generally. The parking’s definitely an issue”, reports the Express.
Gordon pointed out the decline in visits from day-trippers, particularly the locals, due to the parking situation.
She also mentioned the option of buying a weekly parking ticket priced at either £25 or £50 poses a better value compared to the accumulated cost of £70 if using the car park daily.
Summing up her thoughts on the parking charges, she branded them as “absolutely ridiculous”.
A cafe manager in the town has disclosed that she shells out £120 from her own salary on parking fees.
Councillor Julian Brazil, who heads up community services at the local council, commented: “We’d like to do everything to help the tourism trade and we have kept our car parking charges as competitive as possible. Residents of the South Hams can benefit from our discounted resident parking scheme.
“Many workers in Salcombe have benefited from our competitive parking permits, which offer significantly lower long-term parking compared to our pay on the day rates.
“Be under no illusion, we don’t want to increase prices, but this is the best choice for us under the circumstances we find ourselves in.
“Our prices have been frozen for four years, and now everyone who benefits from our public services are being asked to contribute, and that includes our visitors.”
Property specialists at Zoopla have identified Devon’s South Hams district, which includes Dartmouth, Kingsbridge, Ivybridge, Salcombe, and Totnes, as “desirable”.
They continued: “Dartmouth and its surrounding town and villages offer a range of properties from terraces, cottages and merchants’ houses, to new-builds and luxury sea-view flats, townhouses and boathouses.”
Salcombe had a population of nearly 2,000 people at the 2011 census. It lies close to the mouth of the Kingsbridge Estuary.