THOUSANDS of homes across Cumbria are sitting empty, a new investigation has revealed, despite a national epidemic of homelessness.

The county is ranked among the worst in England for the number of properties left vacant on a long term basis per 100 people - with the highest rate anywhere nationwide found in Barrow.

The extraordinary figures, uncovered by the BBC's data unit and shared with CN Group, show the issue is particularly bad in four of Cumbria's six districts - with Barrow rated worst of 360 councils, Copeland fourth, Allerdale 13th and South Lakeland 16th.

Eden fares slightly better for the number of empty homes per 100 residents at 24 in the league table while Carlisle comes in at 74th.

Overall, Cumbria had 4,177 homes left empty for more than six months in 2016, the equivalent of 0.84 properties for every 100 people.

They are among 200,000 vacant properties across the country, though the government claims the number has fallen steadily over the last eight years.

Hundreds empty in each district

But in Barrow, there were 907 properties empty last year - a 23 per cent increase from 2010 when the number stood at 737.

The reason behind the increase is unknown though experts believe areas with pockets of cheaper housing can sometimes fall victim to buyers who 'buy to leave' - with their owners simply waiting for property prices to rise to better their initial investment.

Barrow Council leader Councillor Dave Pidduck said he was shocked to learn just how many homes were unoccupied in the borough.

"It's frustrating, you feel helpless when you know there are houses that are empty and yet people need somewhere to live," he added.

"Sometimes it's because of a family dispute that a house isn't sold. In other cases it's people who buy several properties as an investment.

"We do all we can to work with the owners to bring empty homes back into use, but councils are in a difficult situation."

Around 75 people were classed as officially homeless in Barrow during 2015/16 though the number is thought to be larger when residents who stay temporarily with friends and relatives is taken into account.

Pat Chapples, manager of the town's Furness Homelessness Centre, said her organisation often found it difficult to move people out of the temporary accommodation it has on offer - with a shortage of available council or social housing in the area one factor.

Mrs Chapples added: "To some people a property is bricks and mortar, but to us it's a home and a basic human need."

Barrow is among a majority of authorities to use special powers allowing councils to request 150 per cent of council tax on homes that remain empty for more than two years.

The levy is designed to encourage landlords to bring their properties back into use, either by renting them out or putting them up for sale.

In Copeland last year 724 properties were empty long term, a rate of 1.04 per 100 people - higher than the average for England which was 0.33 per 100.

Copeland Council has taken pro-active steps in recent years to tackle the issue, charging the council tax levy, appealing for the public to notify officers about homes left vacant and attempting to match residents needing accommodation with landlords.

Councillor Allan Holliday, Copeland’s portfolio holder for housing, said the council deployed a range of measures to bring homes back into use including working with owners by providing advice or linking them with agencies that can help with repairs to make them saleable.

He added: "There are a number of reasons for the disproportionately high number of empty homes in the borough.

"These include changing housing needs, absent landlords, a property that has been bought as an investment that subsequently has proven difficult to let, or a property that has been inherited when previous owner who has died or moved into care and then left empty.

"Our figures show that empty homes tend to be in town centres, where the properties are ageing and in need of significant investment, while at the same time, we have a higher number of people receiving benefit or on a below average wage who cannot afford to invest."

Allerdale was ranked 13th nationally for long term empty properties with 802 left standing in 2016 - the highest since 2013 but fewer than 2012 when 923 homes were unoccupied.

A spokesman for the council said the issue was taken very seriously with a number of initiatives up to reduce the number.

These include an empty homes grant providing financial help to help owners who wished to bring properties back into use.

The council also took ownership of a derelict home in Maryport's Senhouse Street with the hope of it becoming habitable once again.

The spokesman added: "As a Council we take the issue of long-term empty homes very seriously and tackling the problem forms a key part in our Council Plan.

"Our advice to anyone with an empty home is to contact our housing department who can provide advice and assistance to get the property back into use."

Similar measures are in force in South Lakeland where work to reduce the number of empty homes in the district - which stood at 724 in 2016 - has been ongoing for some years.

A spokesman for the authority, which has seen the number of homelessness applications double in the last 12 months to 104, said: "They are usually in private ownership and many are simply ones that have been on the market for a long time without selling, or are up for rent but haven’t let.

"But often they are left in a will and the family are unsure what to do with the property, or they become tied up in probate or the owner may move into a nursing home.

"As a council we try to identify properties that have become long-term empty where we can offer some help, and we would attempt to contact the owners to see if there are any ways that we can help them."

Empty homes in Eden are at their lowest level for eight years with 304 not lived in last year.

Bosses in the district confirmed they charged council tax at 150 per cent where possible.

And in Carlisle, a city expanding with hundreds of new homes built in recent years and more developments in the offing, 553 properties were empty last year - 0.51 for every 100 residents.

A Carlisle City Council spokesperson said: “Although the figures demonstrate a steady decline in the number of empty homes, there are still a significant number of properties which require attention.

"We continue to work hard to address the issue of long-term empty homes by providing financial assistance, advice and information.

“The benefits of bringing empty homes back into use are clear as it provides much needed housing, creates jobs, generates income for property owners and improves the prospects for the local economy and neighbourhoods.

“In addition to encouraging owners to bring empty homes into use, we use a range of enforcement powers to ensure that empty properties are brought back in to use.”

Helen Williams, of the Empty Homes charity, said there was a case for the government to revisit the powers given to local authorities to ensure they are strong enough.

"Only being able to charge up to 50 per cent premium after a property has been vacant for two years or more is clearly not a big enough deterrent to some owners of empty homes.

"At the same time it is worth bearing in mind that many owners of empty homes want to bring them back into use, and this is why advice from local authority empty homes staff can make a difference between a property being stuck empty and it being brought back to the market for rent or sale."

<hr>

Those figures in full:

Empty homes / percentage per 100 people

Cumbria

2010 4,483 / 0.9

2013 3,977 / 0.80

2016 4,177 / 0.84

Barrow

2010 737 / 1.06

2013 578 / 0.85

2016 907 / 1.35

Copeland

2010 739 / 1.13

2013 643 / 0.87

2016 553 / 1.04

Allerdale

2010 766 / 0.80

2013 707 / 0.73

2016 802 / 0.83

South Lakeland

2010 1044 / 1.00

2013 1026 / 0.99

2016 827 / 0.80

Eden

2010 396 / 0.75

2013 416 / 0.79

2016 304 / 0.69

Carlisle

2010 739 / 0.69

2013 642 / 0.60

2016 553 / 0.51

<hr>

Are the figures artificially high?

Some councils say the number of homes classed as empty long term in their area is artificially high.

The number they can actually influence to help bring them back into use is smaller, they argue.

The reasons some homes end up on the list includes:

::Properties that were flooded and are being restored

:: Those standing on sites earmarked for future development

:: Flats above closed pubs that are for sale

<hr>