Burnham Market Parish Council could be reduced in size

Villagers in a second home hotspot are seeking to downsize its parish council after struggling to find enough members.

Burnham Market has asked to reduce its number of councillors by nearly 30%.

This follows the population falling by 200 people over the last decade, with nearly half of the homes in the village no longer being used as a permanent residence.

Villagers have now decided to lodge a request with West Norfolk Council to cut its cohort down from 11 to eight.

In a letter to the electoral services manager at the borough council, Caroline Boyden, parish clerk, said: “We have struggled to keep more than eight regular parish councillors and have only managed 11 once in the past three years and this did not last long.

“It appears that some residents join for a short space of time to get an issue they want to be raised and once it is completed, they leave.”

Ms Boyden also cites the declining population as a potential reason for the challenges they face.

The borough council is to consider conducting a Community Governance Review, which will determine whether or not to pursue the councillor cull.

Burnham Market is one of several coastal villages that have suffered from falling populations in recent decades due to people from out of the area snapping up properties.

This has resulted in a lack of homes on the market for locals, while house prices continue to rise.

It has led the parish council to take action and declare war on second homes through an effective ban on new-build properties being bought by people who will not use it as a permanent residence.

The issue has caused increasing tensions in the village and even led shopkeepers to ban the council’s chairman from entering their businesses due to his stance on second home owners, who they say are vital sources of income.

Borough council members will discuss conducting the review into the size of the parish council at an environment and community panel meeting on Tuesday.