Owners of country retreats could be forced to let them out to tenants all year

People who want to buy a weekend property in a rural hotspot may have to get planning permission, a Government-funded report said yesterday.

Those who have permission refused would then have to make sure there is a permanent resident - either themselves or a tenant.

Country pad: Owners of a second home like this one could be forced to live there permanently or let them out all year to tenants according to a government report

The report said the growing army of second homeowners are hurting many of the prettiest parts of Britain's countryside.

Homes which lie empty for much of the year can damage local communities and businesses, such as post offices, shops, pubs and restaurants.

The report, written by LibDem MP Matthew Taylor, calls on the Government to consider a radical planning crackdown.

The proposals would affect people who want to buy a home which is currently occupied full-time.

They may need planning permission to change the use into a second home or holiday let.

Only areas where second homes have an 'identifiable impact on the sustainability of the community' would be subject to the new rules.

Mr Taylor, MP for Truro and St Austell, was asked by Gordon Brown to conduct a review into the rural economy and affordable housing.

He said his proposal should be trialled in National Parks such as the Peak District and the Pembrokeshire coast.

But the Tories attacked the idea.

Spokesman Grant Shapps said: 'Requiring planning permission for second homes would be intrusive and difficult to implement.

'This is a recipe for negative equity. The last thing the housing market needs at the moment is more government red tape.'

The Government said it broadly welcomed the report, but was 'yet to be convinced that a restriction of second homes would be either workable or deliver the intended benefits.'

The report itself admits: 'Stopping the second-home buyer would do little to make more homes available at an affordable price for local people.'

Nobody knows how many second homes exist, although in some areas they account for 40 per cent of all houses.