DEMAND for holiday homes in Bournemouth is growing with 4.1 per cent of all buyers opting for a seaside retreat, says a new survey.

The demand for second homes is booming in many areas of the South West including Dorset, helping push prices well above what local people can afford.

National Housing Federation statistics show that the proportion of second homes in the region is double the national average with 6.9 per cent of all properties purchased on the Isle of Purbeck ending up as holiday homes.

David Slade, senior partner at Slades estate agents, said: “We have always had a steady stream of enquiries from people looking for holiday homes.

“They are still prepared to pay a premium, sometimes more than £1 million, for quality homes at the upper end of the market.

“In most demand are waterside properties in Christchurch with their own moorings and homes in Southbourne boasting sea views.”

Catherine Brabner, south west regional manager for the National Housing Federation, said: “The South West has always been a major hotspot for second homes but these new figures suggest new areas are being targeted.

“When there are large numbers of holiday homes concentrated in one area they can have a detrimental impact on the surrounding local community.

“Not only do they lie empty for much of the year, contributing nothing to local shops and services, but they also push up house prices, pushing out local people who can no longer afford to live there.

“If families and young people are priced out of their local areas community life suffers with shops, schools and pubs closing in alarming numbers as a result.

“To ensure the right number of homes are built in rural areas, local authorities need to develop an understanding of the extent of housing need in their area and come up with an action plan to deliver affordable homes.”