Key facts
- Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin bought an £800,000 second home on Anglesey.
- The purchase was made two days after Pochin questioned the housing minister about second homes.
- Pochin asked about the potential impact of second home ownership on housing availability in rural communities.
- The housing minister acknowledged that second homes can affect housing availability and affordability for local residents.
- Pochin and her husband own another home in Cheshire.
- Anglesey has seen a significant increase in holiday home ownership.
Sarah Pochin, the Reform UK MP for Runcorn and Helsby, purchased a second home on the Welsh island of Anglesey for £800,000 just two days after raising concerns in parliament about the impact of second home ownership on rural communities. The purchase was completed on June 17, according to Land Registry records, while her written question to Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook was submitted on June 15.
Pochin had asked Pennycook what assessment had been made of the potential impact of second home ownership on housing availability in coastal and rural communities. Pennycook responded that excessive concentrations of short-term lets and second homes affect the availability and affordability of homes for local residents and strain local services.
The property, a Grade-II listed home on Anglesey's southern coast, was bought jointly with Pochin's husband, Jonathan. The couple already own a home in Cheshire. Anglesey has experienced a notable increase in second home ownership, with the Office for National Statistics indicating it had the largest rise in holiday home users among local authorities between 2011 and 2021. As of March 2026, Anglesey county council recorded 2,635 furnished homes that were not an individual’s sole or main residence. The local authority implemented a 100% council tax premium on second homes in 2016 to address housing affordability issues.
Critics argue that second homes reduce housing supply, inflate property prices, and strain infrastructure, potentially damaging local community spirit and displacing families. Robin Wyn Williams, deputy leader of Anglesey county council, noted the long-term impact on schools and services, and the potential loss of village identity.