PARTY'S OVER
We’re being forced out of our seaside town – tourists throw loud parties, block our driveways & cover streets in rubbish
RESIDENTS living in a seaside town have slammed tourists for forcing them out with loud parties and poor parking.
Holidaymakers constantly come and go from hundreds of houses in the idyllic coastal town.
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But those who permanently live in , Kent, want more regulation to stop the scourge of second homes.
Rubbish litters the roads, cars are parked illegally and tourists generate large amounts of noise as they party and enjoy boozy barbecues late into the night in the summer months.
Sophie Williams, 52, told the she initially didn't understand why strangers kept knocking on her door.
She said: "There was a person knocking at my door because he couldn’t get in. That was one of the first incidents I dealt with."
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Now, she's regularly kept up by late-night parties.
"I like to sit and read in my garden and their garden has been done up beautifully for barbecues so there are garden parties three times a week in the summer.
“It’s upsetting and makes me not want to live there."
Locals want more rules in place to discourage future second home owners from buying in the town.
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Those hoping to convert houses into short-term lets should have to apply for planning permission, they argue.
Ms Williams added that she thought holiday homeowners should be paying council tax.
Canterbury City Council could be missing out on almost £500,000 in revenue because hundreds of holiday lets aren't registered for council tax or business rates, according to Clare Turnbull, ward councillor for Gorrell.
At a meeting angry locals spoke of their "struggles", as one person said: "People don’t care where they park - it’s cheaper to pay a fine than pay for a day’s parking."
Another added: "There is no longer a sense of community."
Jonathan Hollow said he has lived in Whitstable since 2006 and lives "right in the centre".
While he used to have long-term neighbours on each side, he's now completely bordered by a holiday let and second home.
He said those staying in short-term lets have knocked on nearby doors to ask about keys.
And often there are problems with bins being left out on the street.
He called for a "voluntary code of practice" that second home owners sign up to to set a "standard for neighbourliness".
Currently, a home can be used as a short-term let without any notice or permission.
Jo Taylor, another resident, said the area was a ghost town in the winter because so few people live there all year round.
Another, who wanted to remain anonymous, said there weren't enough affordable rental properties available for families and young people.
It comes after a seaside town's top tourist attraction was ruined thanks to toxic sewage.
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And another suffers from horrific parking problems.
Elsewhere, locals spoke about living in a forgotten seaside town that looks just like Santorini.
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