Property specialists Strutt & Parker have long maintained that second home ownership in rural areas plays little or no part in the difficulties experienced by young or first-time home-buyers, and the government has now acknowledged that to be the case.

The government’s Housing & Planning Minister, Yvette Cooper, said this week, ‘In most parts of the country the number of second homes is extremely small … it’s not a significant factor in affecting affordability’.

She went on to say that although the government has allowed a small number of local authorities to make limited changes – such as levying higher council tax – there would be no further attempts at regulation via higher taxation.

Mark Rimell of Strutt & Parker says, ‘This decision is very welcome. There was never a case for either increasing taxation on second home owners or imposing planning restrictions, as was also mooted. Quite apart from being illogical such moves would also have been impractical.

‘There is a need for more affordable housing in many of our villages but this is a completely different issue from second home ownership. Attacking second home owners will not solve the problem of some country people being priced out of their home areas. That is a different problem and it needs a different solution.

‘Also, some commentators do overlook the advantages of second home ownership. These home owners often spend large sums on their properties, and that creates very welcome business for local craftsmen – which is particularly important in recent times when the agricultural community has been so hard hit. They also tend to be aware of rural problems and make a point of using the shop, the pub and other local businesses such as riding stables and craft workshops. There can be no doubt that owners of second homes feed considerable wealth into rural communities.’

No official records are kept of the number of second homes in Britain, and the figure may be as low as 100,000 or may touch 300,000. While there are higher numbers in areas such as South Hams in Devon, the Lake District, some parts of the Yorkshire Dales, the highest percentage by far is actually in central London. In the City of London the figure is more than 27% of all domestic properties; three times higher than in the next highest region.