The government’s recent proposal to allow local councils to double council tax on second homes was dealt a severe blow at his local council meeting. The votes were close with 46 opposed to and 44 in support, with one member abstaining. More than one in four homes in the region are considered second homes. These conditions have reignited conversations around the local economic effect these short term rentals are having on communities.
The new tax was first put forward by the new Liberal Democrat administration in their budget. They hope to collect about £1.5 million through this hike. Councillor Gavin Grant was full-throated in support for the plan. He defended its introduction, claiming that in doing so, the council would be joining three-quarters of local authorities across the country who already charge a second home premium. He emphasized that “communities and local economies thrive when residents engage. They die when previously occupied homes become occasional casual retreats.”
Grant further stated, “We believe the broadest shoulders should bear the greatest burden,” advocating that the proposed tax increase would encourage more full-time rentals or prompt homeowners to sell their properties to individuals who intend to live there full-time. He claimed that this policy would, in the end, serve the best “interest of all residents.”
Opposition emerged from various factions. Richard Clewer, leader of the Conservative group, criticized the proposal, stating that “the idea of taxing people more for having a nice house is wrong.” Clewer expressed his belief that imposing additional taxes on homeowners was “not something we [the council] should be doing.”
Industrialist Ed Rimmer, who heads the council’s Reform UK group, is fiercely against the idea. He refers to it as a “punitive tax” that would push would-be residents out of the region.
This important proposal was narrowly defeated, emphasizing the council’s continued rifts. They lose the public relations war and the political fight to regulate an unpredictable housing market in a way that serves both residents and property owners. The discussion about second homes and the threat they pose to a community’s character and makeup continues. Local leaders acknowledge they’re in the thick of figuring out solutions that protect long-term residents but allow for and spur the investment the community seeks.
