‘Chequebook invasion raises Welsh ire

Press, 27 February 1980, Page 31

‘Chequebook invasion raises Welsh ire

By KEN COATES in London The Welsh are harbouring a smouldering resentment at a modern invasion that- they say is changing the character of parts of their country. Termed the “Chequebook Invasion,” it is mounted by increasing numbers of wealthy English people buying holiday homes in Wales.

A property boom has put house prices beyond the reach of local people, many of whom have been waiting years for council houses. The more extreme complaints are about the “incursion of an alien culture.” The “invasion” has sparked violent retaliation, and in the last two months, arsonists have reportedly set fire to 12 buildings in Wales. . Police suspect that at least nine of the fires were started in protest against the spread of “second homes.” All but one of the fires have occurred in isolated spots, often inaccessible by road, which has posed problems for firemen. The number of homes in Wales used purely for week-ends and holidays has been growing. The real boom, agents say, began in the mid to late 19605.

Wales had a large stock of houses ideal for con-

version. It is estimated that the number of “second homes” in Wales is now between 25,000 and 30,000. As numbers grew, so did prices. Before the boom, a two-bedroom terrace house could be bought for between $4OO and $6OO. Today the same property would cost about $20,000.

Although rural populations have declined, there are still areas in which unemployment is between 10 and 12 per cent. In this context, the existence of many “foreign-owned” houses brings about a sense of deprivation and resentment among local people. The influx also underlined the fact that while some have two homes, others have none. Some local bodies tried to stem the tide by buying up potential “second homes,” but usually it was too few, too late. There are also cultural problems. Mr Dafydd Wisley, a member of Plaid Cymru (the Welsh national party) and member of Parliament for Caernarvon says, “Large parts of West and North Wales are in danger of being no more Celtic in character than is the Lake District or Cornwall today. “What military conquest has failed to do over two millennia, is now being accomplished by the chequebook invasion in

two decades.”

Until recently, the main protest came from the Welsh Language Society, with its well publicised occupations of empty houses, interruptions of property auctions, and daubing of slogans on estate agents’ offices.

Most Welshmen abhor the fires, and police so far are not sure who is responsible. The most plausible theory seems to be that the campaign of arson is the work of a new group of extremists.

A new mood of doggedness is reported from Wales. Young people seem less prepared to abandon their homeland, even though the prospects for jobs and housing are worse now than for many years. Unemployment is already 50 per cent above the British average, and it is estimated that cutbacks in the steel industry leading to other job losses will add more than 40,000 to Wale’s 90,000 jobless by the end of the year. It is against this background that police investigating the fires complain of a frustrating lack of co-operation from local people. North Wales police have taken the unusual step of setting up a confidential telephone line by which information may be given without fear of reprisal.