Our ‘Hollywood-on-Sea’ village is flooded with A-list celebs – the thought of seeing a star makes me want to run a mile
A SEASIDE village has been dubbed ‘Hollywood-on-Sea’ after a swell of A-list celebrities shifted into town.
And while that might seem like a dream to some, locals say the posh newcomers are now turning their coast into an eyesore.
Massive multi-million-pound homes are popping up all along the cliffs at Mawgan Porth, Cornwall which has started attracting big names over the years.
Cate Blanchett is in the process of building a £2million beachside home, while Aquaman star Jason Momoa and hard-man Jason Statham already own or rent holiday homes.
But the big names aren’t the only issue – residents say second homeowners and holiday lets mean affordable housing in the village is non-existent.
And, whenever the weather turns locals say Mawgan Porth becomes a “ghost village”.
David Hibberd, 76, and wife, Janet, 73, said they will only venture to Mawgan Porth out of the peak summer season.
The retired salesman, from nearby St Columb Major, told The Sun: “I love Cornwall and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else but at the heights of summer it’s a nightmare.
“The infrastructure just isn’t in place for the amount of people who descend on these seaside resorts. Immediately after the pandemic lots of people shunned going abroad and came down here instead and it seems that – like us – they loved it.
“I wouldn’t know a celebrity if they came along and slapped me in the face, but someone with money is certainly buying up all the properties and turning them into real eyesores on the hillside above the beach.”
Wife Janet added: “We regularly walk along the beach with our great granddaughter once the holidaymakers have gone home and it’s idyllic.
“We’re lucky we can pick and choose when to come to Mawgan Porth and I know a lot of people don’t have that choice.”
Firefighter Matt Pufahl and his fiancee Kelly Swoish admitted that they would never have enough cash to live in Mawgan Porth – or as they now know it “Hollywood-on-Sea”.
Matt, 32, said: “It would be a fantastic place to live but there’s no way we’d be able to afford to buy there which is just as well.
“Because in the winter this place is like a ghost village because there are so many second homes and rental properties that the place just empties around October time.
“The thought also of having a celebrity living on my doorstep would make me run a mile. Obviously the likes of Cate Blanchett can afford the very best but they are rarely here to enjoy it.
“This part of Cornwall is great in the summer but it can be equally as amazing when the wind is howling and the sea is raging in the winter.”
Someone with money is certainly buying up all the properties and turning them into real eyesores on the hillside above the beach.
David Hibberd
Kelly, 30, an ophthalmologist, added: “It’s a real shame that they have demolished all the original bungalows and replaced them with what you can only describe as horror shows.
“They might look OK on Malibu Beach in California but on the hillside overlooking a quintessential Cornish beach they look totally out of place.”
Samantha Anson, a full-time mom from St Austell, brought her baby daughter Emilia to the seaside for a day trip.
The mum, aged 28, said: “Second homes are becoming a real problem in Cornwall and Mawgan Porth is no different.
“There’s just nothing in the village that isn’t associated with the summer economy. It just shuts down and it’s a real shame that for the few people who live here year-round they just have to go into hibernation almost.”
Visitors to Mawgan Porth beach in the summer have regularly bumped into A-listers like Blanchett as wel as Jason Statham while Kris Marshall and Zahra Ahmadi who star in BBC drama Beyond Paradise which is filmed in Cornwall have also been spotted on the beach.
According to census data, Cornwall is the most popular destination in the UK for a second home, with 6,080 holiday homes used by 14,230 people.
Estate agent listings for Mawgan Porth appear to back up locals’ concerns as the top two properties – one not even built – have been listed for sale for £2.9million and £2.25m.
Adding to this, many locals have complained it is unfair these homes are only being sold privately and the public are unable to see floor plans, which attracts famous buyers.
And with a number of flights daily between Newquay airport and Heathrow and designated landing areas for helicopters – international travel is easier than ever for the rich and famous travelling from afar to their Cornish bolthole.