Chef Rick Stein says weekenders are vital

But celebrity chef Rick Stein, who has three restaurants in Padstow, Cornwall, says weekenders keep the economy alive.

The Welsh Assembly has already ended the concession allowing people to pay only half the normal council tax on second homes.

In picturesque Port Isaac, on the north Cornwall coast, the majority of homes in the heart of the village are owned by holiday visitors.

They include TV designer Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen, who was recently ordered to remove skylights he installed in his Port Isaac cottage.

Mr Tyler, MP for North Cornwall, said local authorities should be able to do more than raise council tax.

Seconds out

He said: "In Port Isaac, 75% of the properties in the centre of the village are second homes.

"They should be able to say, 'no more'.

MP Paul Tyler wants planning restraints

"They should be able to insist on planning consent being given before any full-time residence is converted into a second home."

Low average earnings in many holiday areas add to the problems for local people trying to buy.

Estate agent Jackie Stanley showed the BBC round a modern clifftop home in Port Isaac.

"The price of �185,000, or in excess of that, will prohibit the local market," she said.

Weekend bread

In winter, shops close and houses stand empty in Port Isaac.

But in Padstow, restaurateur Rick Stein said second-homers made a crucial difference to some local businesses.

Many house prices are beyond local reach

Mr Stein said: "Second home owners are customers - bread and butter, if you like.

"We would not do very well just out of the local people, particularly because the fishing industry has declined so much."

In December 2000, Environment Minister, Michael Meacher, denied the government was putting new legislation on hold until after the general election - eventually held in June 2001.

Mr Meacher said: "Regarding the issue of council tax on second homes, no, it has not been put off until after an election.

"The intention is to move as quickly as we can."