South Lakeland has one of the highest rates of empty houses in England, which campaigners argue should be used to help solve the national housing crisis.
Action on Empty Homes said it is 'exceptionally worrying' that more than half a million homes lie unused across England, while tens of thousands of families are living in temporary accommodation.
The campaign group's analysis of Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government figures show that 4,869 homes in South Lakeland were not being used as of October, up from 4,771 the year before.
Of these, 1,039 were long-term vacancies, unoccupied for at least six months, and 3,830 were also second homes.
This means one in every 11 homes in South Lakeland were out of use – which is one of the highest rates in England, but behind the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea, where one in every nine homes is unused.
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