Why are people who have a small flat in Whitby to enjoy breaks being punished? - Yorkshire Post Letters

Re: Couples retirement dream in Whitby. This article in your newspaper today (May 13) could have been from me.

We too bought a small flat in Whitby with an inheritance from my father in order to enjoy breaks in our retirement to beautiful Whitby. Our children and grandchildren also enjoy going there and we all spend our money in Whitby contributing to the local economy.

We can’t understand why we are being punished for this - I have written and tried to speak to a variety of councillors in North Yorkshire with no response or reply from a phone.

We were not consulted or even sent a letter, just left to find out from the small print on the back of this April’s council tax bill.

How is this going to help provide affordable housing for locals? If we sell, our flat will undoubtedly be bought by someone who will let it out as a holiday business, therefore providing much less money for the council’s plans and not providing a home for local people.