"Buy up empty holiday homes" call

Local councils need powers to compulsory purchase underused houses according to a trade union.
The recent census shows 246 residents have registered holiday homes in the Mendip, 523 in South Somerset and  964 in Sedgemoor
These are not estimates of the number of holiday homes in a local authority, as more than one person can record the same second address.
The GMB union says a holiday home that is only used for a few weeks a year is very different to a holiday home that is occupied for most of the year in terms of its economic benefits to any locality.
The GMB called  for local authorities to be given powers to levy taxes on underused holiday homes and also to be able to compulsory purchase them in areas with acute housing need.