A lifelong resident of the Lake District has blasted tourists for turning her beloved Windermere into something resembling Blackpool.

Since lockdown, those rich enough started looking closer to home for a second property to spend their holidays and time off at, whether it be buy or let.

To counter this, second homeowners in England could face paying twice the amount of council tax from April 2025.

Those rich enough, however, will unlikely be put off to rent or purchase.

Cumbrian locals such as Keysia Mattocks believe it is irreparably changing rural towns and forcing locals out as a result.

Born and raised in the Lake District, she said she faces the prospect of being forced out of her hometown because of the housing crisis.

“Me and my wife have been renting [our] house for seven years now, [but] the landlord is selling up and trying to find a house around here that will accept three cats is impossible,” she told the Express.

“The places available are like six-month winter lets because they are holiday cottages in the summertime or peak time.

“We were looking at [these properties] in desperation, but others were viewing it after us so it must be getting interest. You can’t build a home from that, though.”

Throughout her tenancy, she said she had seen the supply of rental properties in Windermere dramatically reduce and knew that if they did have to move out it would be very tough to stay local.

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“It's so busy and full of people who don't actually respect the area"

“It's always been in the background,” she added. “We have heard stories of landlords selling houses underneath people and not really letting their tenants know. But [the shortage of housing] is a scary fact of life. The nearest available council house to Windermere is Whitehaven [50 miles away].” 

Only a couple of her school friends remain in Windermere; the vast majority have left and commute for work or family visits.

She said: “I have two-holiday cottages around me including my next-door neighbour. That is used as an Airbnb holiday cottage with a new person in each week.

“Sometimes we have families who are nice and quiet, but there are times where the younger generation that are more into drinking stay.

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“Last week we had students across the way and they were partying every single night.

“I feel like at the moment, instead of Windermere being how it used to be, it’s turned into more like Blackpool.

“It's so busy and full of people who don't actually respect the area. It's starting to get like rubbish all over it and if you go down to the lake, like normal quiet spots, there will be like glass, rubbish and barbecues where you're not supposed to be having barbecues. 

“Parking's impossible. There's parking all around blocking up one-way streets and traffic.”