One in every 19 homes in West Somerset is now an unoccupied second home, according to central government figures.

The district has the highest number of second homes in Somerset and one of the highest in the West Country.

West Somerset had a total of 18,137 properties which are eligible for council tax as of October 2017 - the most recent figures available from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Of those, 980 properties were classified as second homes – which works out as one in every 19 across the entire district, or just under five per cent of all residential properties.

This ratio is five times higher than the English average of one home in every 97 being a second home, and more than four times higher than any other part of Somerset.

West Somerset’s second home ratio is comparable to Cornwall - one in every 20 homes - but lower than parts of Devon such as the South Hams district, where the ratio is one in 11.

Second homes are not classed as empty homes because they are fully furnished and occasionally inhabited. So they do not attract the same council tax premiums which can be levied on empty properties as an incentive for their owners to bring them back into use.

West Somerset Council does not offer council tax discounts on most second homes, although a 50 per cent discount is available if the second home is a boat or caravan or is used for employment purposes, such as when someone regularly works in two separate locations for any period of time.

The council said that the district’s visual beauty and numerous tourist attractions have made such a high rate of second homes inevitable, and that it is putting funding into projects to deliver affordable rural housing.

A spokesperson said: “We administer an area that includes part of Exmoor National Park, a beautiful coastline and the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

“It is inevitable that people will want to spend time here to enjoy the area and acquire a second home if they are able to do so.

“The council has no power to stop people from buying a second home. Owners of a second home have to pay full council tax on the property.

“However, the district did benefit from a share of government funding to mitigate against the effects of high levels of second home ownership.”