LGA Lib Dem Group Leader Cllr Joe Harris has written to his local MP urging support for the government to allow councils to charge double the council tax on second homes from the coming financial year rather than the following April. Encourage your MP to sign EDM 682!
Dear Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brown,
I am writing to you following the decision to allow local authorities to increase council tax on second homes by up to 100 per cent. Second homes mean housing only occupied some of the time, leading to a “hollowing out” of local communities as crucial services such as schools risk closure. It often means less affordable housing for local people.
So I support the decision. However, I understand that any increase cannot be applied until April 2024. If people are able to afford a second home then they can afford to pay the extra council tax now. Will you support the call for councils to be able to levy this from April this year if councils so choose?
Local authorities including South Lakeland, North Yorkshire, North Norfolk, Torridge, and Cornwall, have already expressed a commitment to implement the increase as soon as possible. I hope you will be able to add your support to Early Day Motion 682 which calls for this measure to be moved forward a year for those councils which wish to implement earlier.
Kind Regards,
Councillor Joe Harris
Leader, Cotswold District Council