The Old Hospital in Southwold has undergone a transformation thanks to a community based project which has completely changed the building and produced a whole range of new community facilities: a new home for the library, accommodation for local people and a hot desk working space, plus a Nursery. There is also a cafe / restuarant called The Canteen with outdoor and indoor seating and a menu that uses local produce.
I visited the town during 2022's National Fieldwork Week. Chris Webster from the Geography Fieldwork Academy showed me round, and introduced me to the Mayor: Will Windell who was doing some carpentry work on the site and heavily involved in the creation of the hot-desking area.
The town is very popular with second-home owners and has had a number of community discussions around the place of second homes, and strategies for keeping them in the ownership of local people.
This is difficult to do, as there are various loopholes people exploit whatever covenants may be placed on properties.
Threshold population is an area which I have explored before with students. There has been a reduction in the resident population of Southwold due to the number of houses which are second homes. Only about 40% of the houses in Southwold are occupied all year round. 22% of homes are holiday lets, including the one I stayed in this week.
Conservative-led East Suffolk Council recently agreed a neighbourhood plan with a ‘principal resident requirement’ in a bid to tackle the issue, meaning all new-build dwellings must be occupied as someone’s main home (which doesn't tackle the issue that a lot of the second homes are old properties - Victorian villas and terraces).
The Census 2021 has now resulted in new data which can be explored - see the map at the bottom of the post.
The name of the post comes from a film made by and written by Michael Palin, who holidayed in the town as a child.
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