AFTER recent data revealed the number of holiday homes in north Cumbria are spiking, concern is now being cast on the effect it has on local businesses.

Data revealed there has been hundreds of second homes converted into holiday lets since the pandemic, causing people to become wary of the backlash this has on businesses and employment in the area.

The situation is particularly acute in Allerdale, and perhaps most especially Keswick.

A widely-shared recent Facebook post by Claire Peat discussed the issue, saying: "This is what happens when all the properties are sold as holiday cottages or second homes: nobody left in town to keep the businesses running."

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The post showed pictures of signs on doors outside shops: "This is just from a walk around town today. There are more vacancies online, and there will be guest houses I didn't walk past recruiting.

"If you fancy coming to Keswick to work one or more of these vacancies, there's nowhere to rent..."

"We're not short of vacancies. We're short of full-time residents of working age, we're short of accommodation for workers, we're short of affordable parking and accessible public transport for workers, we're short of young families bringing up the next generation of teenagers who wait on and man tills and come back in uni holidays to fill seasonal vacancies while living at home.

"We're REALLY short of affordable housing - even local occupancy houses are beyond the means of many locals, and there's nowhere to rent as holiday lets are far more profitable."

The post follows Generation Rents chairman, Dan Wilson Craw saying: "That destroys communities and starves local businesses of workers."

Read more: Dozens of second homes converted to holiday lets in Carlisle

Read more: Over 100 second homes converted to holiday lets in Allerdale