Relax travel to second homes including island homes

Owners need to check and maintain their properties. Collect mail and pay utilities. They are still required to pay council tax. This would help the local economy as well and ease relaxation.

Why the contribution is important

Property needs checks and maintenance.

by jennyw on May 07, 2020 at 09:13PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 2.4
Based on: 49 votes

Comments

  • Posted by Boomt24 May 07, 2020 at 21:16

    As a resident of an island.
    Please stay in your main place of residence and hire someone to check your 2nd house.

  • Posted by MrSimba May 07, 2020 at 21:17

    Second home owners need to stay in their first homes and not carry virus about.

    If they cared about the local economy they could sell their homes to locals.

  • Posted by Islander64 May 07, 2020 at 22:38

    If people are worried about their properties they can always ask the Police to check on them.

    The whole point about staying away is to ensure that the limited NHS Healthcare services of island and rural areas are not overwhelmed by visitors. Second home owners will be registered with their own GP at their Primary Residence and therefore not included in Healthcare Capacity for the area where their second home is.

  • Posted by Lingirdy May 07, 2020 at 22:42

    Terrible idea. How would you feel if you inadvertently took the virus to an island and infected, possibly killed some of the population?

  • Posted by VREMB May 07, 2020 at 23:45

    No, please stay in your main residence.

  • Posted by Purple23 May 07, 2020 at 23:48

    Second home owners need to stay in their place of residence. They can employ someone else to check on their second homes.

  • Posted by pmaberdeenshire May 08, 2020 at 04:19

    Just a stupid idea!

  • Posted by Pinksquirl May 08, 2020 at 05:57

    Absolutely disagree. WE NEED to keep our Highlands and Islands safe, the area is huge with few hospitals should cases increase due to people checking on second homes.
    Arrange with local community to check homes are secure.
    You don't need to visit to pay utilities.

  • Posted by Donniebabs May 08, 2020 at 06:16

    Permit travel to second home if within 60 miles from main residence.

  • Posted by Zendog May 08, 2020 at 06:49

    People who own second homes should not visit them and risk spreading the virus.

  • Posted by Zendog May 08, 2020 at 06:49

    People who own second homes should not visit them and risk spreading the virus.

  • Posted by HarrisSch May 08, 2020 at 07:12

    Definitely no access to the islands or remote areas. Checking second homes by one person could be allowed if the second home is within a reasonable distance (say 50 miles), but not for staying in. You don’t need to be at your second home to pay bills.

  • Posted by DebbieD May 08, 2020 at 07:13

    Please stay in your main residence and keep rural communities safe. Rural communities have worked hard to quietly support and protect their residents. Our shops are still not fully stocked, more people travelling brings more risk into communities not just of Covid but accidents and other demands on our stretched sedvices

  • Posted by akjem May 08, 2020 at 07:19

    Do not spread the virus hither and yon. Get all your mail, utility bills etc. sent to your 'first home'. Do it online. If you are concerned about the condition of your 'second home', employ a local to look after it for you....good for the local economy.

  • Posted by macmac May 08, 2020 at 07:22

    Second homes are not just holiday homes. Many people work away Monday - Friday and have a second home to live in through the week.

  • Posted by Josh May 08, 2020 at 07:32

    This is such a dangerous and unnecessary idea. I love taking holidays in the Highlands and Islands, and will be sad to miss them this year, but it would be so irresponsible to go.

    Of course if you own a second home, you would want to be there now, and that must be a real temptation when we’re all stuck indoors most of the time, but we need to all protect the rural and remote communities with less and more spread out NHS capacity.

    Whether owner pay council tax or not is just not relevant, and to maintain their property, owners could contact a local tradesman to do work, using video to communicate and agree about what needs done. This will also benefit the local economy.

  • Posted by GraemeN May 08, 2020 at 07:47

    Virus travels with people. Areas with 2nd homes often have long distances between health facilities which adds to challenges and anxiety. Non-essential travel to such areas should be restricted until it is safe to resume.

  • Posted by LBE May 08, 2020 at 08:00

    I think if you cared that much about the local economy you wouldn’t have a second home in the first place- you are preventing someone local access housing, pushing up house prices not significantly contributing to the local businesses or community. If you really want to make a difference rent your second property out to someone in housing need for a fair rent.

  • Posted by weemcd May 08, 2020 at 08:17

    This would result in people believing that they can travel anywhere.

  • Posted by Americanpie May 08, 2020 at 09:17

    Living in a holiday area where currently we have a few cases of Covid 19 we do not want you to visit us or any of your customers. Stay away.

  • Posted by Fiona1 May 08, 2020 at 09:18

    Second home owners are valuable to communities and help bring in money to the local shops and help get the economy going again. They would have to buy fuel to get there also. There is no reason to not be allowed to go to your own second home as long as you are not renting it out to others.

  • Posted by Annmack May 08, 2020 at 09:36

    No, no ,no! It's way too early!

  • Posted by LesFraser53 May 09, 2020 at 14:02

    I have a family croft in the highlands and wouldn't dream of visiting it till any risk to locals is vastly reduced from current levels. Any maintenance can wait.

  • Posted by Sandsmill May 09, 2020 at 16:12

    Second home owners need to stay in their primary home and not travel about, spreading the virus particularly to islands and rural locations where the infrastructure is not able to cope with loads of extra residents.

  • Posted by JoanofArc May 10, 2020 at 11:52

    The ferries pose huge social distancing problems. They are essentially a bottleneck for anyone going to the islands. Numbers travelling will need to be restricted for the foreseeable future and a process put in place to give residents priority.

  • Posted by annecampbell May 10, 2020 at 21:56

    No. Stricter rules needed to stop this

  • Posted by AlJones May 11, 2020 at 14:17

    The islands are a place of solace at difficult times like this, and I believe everyone deserves a bit of that, not just locals (and I am a local).

    Following good hygiene is still, we are told, the best way to prevent spread. We had lockdown before we even gave it a chance. Most holiday home owners will be walking on a beach, enjoying the fresh air, and can easily socially distance. I find it very hard to believe that allowing them some respite, after a difficult time, presents a significant risk to islanders... many of whom will head to the mainland as soon as travel restrictions are lifted! Double standards in play.

  • Posted by IMcK May 11, 2020 at 21:14

    If you think the islands are a desirable place right now, so does everyone else. We don't need that flow of people to under resourced areas of the country, it will risk unmanageable outbreaks and bottlenecks in fragile parts of the NHS.
Log in or register to add comments and rate ideas