Claims new law to charge second home owners DOUBLE council tax won't fix problem
Housing campaigners in Cornwall say the move from the government is just "empty face-saving spin"
Last updated 10th May 2022
We're told new laws to charge second home owners in Cornwall DOUBLE council tax 'will still not fix the problem'.
The announcement was made as part the Queen's speech today (10th May), which was read by Prince Charles, as the government's legislative agenda was set out.
It was the first time Her Majesty missed the State Opening of Parliament in nearly 60 years. Buckingham Palace says she 'reluctantly' pulled out, because of "episodic mobility problems."
Under new plans to help drive levelling up across the country, local authorities such as Cornwall Council will be given the power to levy a premium of up to 100% on council tax bills for second homes – which are furnished but not occupied as a sole or main residence.
Homes left empty could also see their standard council tax rate doubled sooner – after 12 months rather than two years.
The government says that in addition to having the power to apply greater premiums at a level of their choice, local authorities will have flexibility on how to spend the funds raised and can decide to prioritise keeping council tax bills low for local households.
But west Cornwall councillor and former MP, Andrew George, claims the move from the government is "just empty face-saving spin".
He said: "Their proposals will neither hasten nor discourage the present industrial-level exploitation of the massive rewards and tax advantages available to property investors to the detriment of the communities they exploit and the locals they push out.
"After decades denying there’s a problem and rejecting proposals to introduce new (planning use class) laws, the Conservatives were finally shamed into admitting that their own laws which allow wealthy second homers to use tax-loopholes to avoid paying either council tax or business rates were unfair. But that was in 2018. While they’ve repeatedly made extravagant statements that they’ll close the loophole, nothing has actually happened, except that they’ve doled-out multi-million Covid aid to them (over £170 million of Cornwall’s Covid-aid alone). And what they do propose will have virtually no impact anyway.
"This latest announcement amounts to more of the same. Regulations to double council tax on empty properties already exist and will be devilishly difficult to apply to second homes as well as empty properties."
The move has been welcomed by Cornish MPs and Cornwall Council though, who say it will "provide us with extra revenue to go back into funding council services to benefit the residents of Cornwall".
The government insists the new law will help investment in local communities and drive levelling up across the country.