Holiday lets nearly negate supply of new homes in tourist areas, study shows

Houses on the waterfront in South Lakeland, Cumbria, where coversions to holiday lets and second homes equate to 63% of new homes built. Photograph: Gaid Kornsilapa/Shutterstock

The supply of new homes in some tourist hotspots is being almost completely negated by the rise of second homes and holiday lets, analysis has revealed.

In the Copeland area of the Lake District, which includes the beauty spot of Scafell Pike, there were 426 new homes created in the last three years. Over the same period, 407 existing homes were converted to commercial holiday lets or second homes.