Our community commitment

Good for the Forest, not just for the visitor

Why we believe well-managed holiday lets benefit the communities they sit within.

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We know holiday lets can be a topic that stirs strong feelings in the Forest of Dean. We live and work here too, so we completely understand why the conversation exists.

Some local people are not over the moon about holiday lets, particularly where they feel communities are changing or housing availability is being affected. Equally, others welcome the tourism they bring, supporting local pubs, cafes, shops, attractions and independent businesses that rely heavily on visitor income throughout the year.

Rather than avoid the conversation, we believe it is better to have it openly and responsibly. We care deeply about the area and the communities within it, and we believe holiday letting should be approached in a way that respects both local people and the local economy.

On housing affordability

Our focus is on properties that would otherwise sit empty for most of the year — second homes and occasional-use properties whose owners want to make better use of them. A well-managed holiday let is better for a street, a village, and a community than one that sits dark and unused for months at a time.

We do understand the wider picture though. When properties are bought as second homes or business investments, it can push house prices beyond the reach of people who grew up here and want to stay. That’s a real issue in the Forest of Dean and the Wye Valley, and we don’t dismiss it. What we’d say is those properties exist regardless of what happens next. The question is whether they sit empty and contribute nothing, or whether they’re actively managed, regularly occupied, and putting money into the local economy. We believe the latter is better for everyone.

On the visitors we bring

We don’t list properties on every platform and hope for the best. Every guest goes through our process and every property comes with clear expectations. We attract visitors who genuinely want to be here, people who walk the Wye Valley, eat in local pubs, shop in Coleford and Monmouth, and leave having spent real money in the local economy. That spending supports jobs and businesses that residents rely on year-round.

On regulation

We welcome the conversation about better regulation of short-term lets. The problems that drive it are real, and they come from bad operators. Our approach is responsible hands on management, quality guests, proper maintenance, genuine care for the properties and neighbourhoods we operate in, that is what good regulation would require of everyone.

On being local

Webb & James is a Forest of Dean business. The fees we earn stay here. The tradespeople we recommend are local. The suppliers we use are local where we can find them. When you choose us to manage your property, you’re not feeding a national platform, you’re keeping it in the community.

We won’t pretend every holiday let in every location is managed this way. But we try ours best to ensure ours are.

If you have questions or views about holiday let properties in the area, feel free to leave a comment below.