Are There Too Many Holiday Homes? Census figures revealed

New data from the Office for National Statistics, based on the 2021 Census results, show growth in the number of holiday homes.

The South West had the highest concentration of holiday homes compared with other English regions and Wales, at 7.5 for every 1,000 homes.

This was followed by Wales, with 6.9 holiday homes for every 1,000 homes. London had the lowest, at 0.6 per 1,000.

The figure was higher in local authority areas known as popular tourist destinations. 

In South Hams in Devon, there were 44.1 holiday homes for every 1,000 homes. This was the highest rate of any local authority area in England and Wales excluding the Isles of Scilly, which has a particularly small resident population. South Hams has a long coastline and is home to the southern part of Dartmoor National Park, as well as the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

South Hams was followed by Gwynedd in North Wales (41.0 per 1,000 homes), which contains most of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, North Norfolk (38.7 per 1,000) and the Isle of Anglesey (32.9 per 1,000).

Within local authorities, there were some areas where the concentration of holiday homes was even higher. For example in the Salcombe, Malborough and Thurlestone area of South Hams, there were 171.9 holiday homes for every 1,000 homes. In Abersoch and Aberdaron in Gwynedd, the figure was 153.3 per 1,000.

There were seven areas in England and Wales where more than 1 in 10 homes were used as holiday homes.

These also included, in Cornwall, Trebetherick and Whitecross (139.5 per 1,000 homes) and Padstow and St Issey (120.5 per 1,000); meanwhile in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, Brancaster, Burnham Market and Docking (130.4 per 1,000 homes) and Hunstanton (103.8 per 1,000); and in North Norfolk, Wells and Blakeney (109.1 per 1,000 homes).

Many of these locations with particularly high concentrations of holiday homes were in coastal areas, or near national parks.

The same survey suggests a significant increase in staycations - although it’s worth noting that the Census was conducted in 2021 when some Covid travel restrictions were in place.