Second homes tax sparks row

PLANS to whack up the amount of council tax paid by the owners of second homes and empty houses has sparked a political row at Wiltshire Council.

- PETER DAVISON

Owners of second homes and empty properties in Wiltshire are set to rocket from 2027, when a new council tax regime comes into force.

At a meeting of Wiltshire Council's Liberal Democrat-run cabinet on Tuesday, December 9, members unanimously and enthusiastically backed plans to levy a premium of 100 per cent on 1,300 second homes, and to increase the levy on empty homes by up to 300 per cent on top of the council tax bill.

The empty homes levy could raise around £750,000 in additional council tax, while bringing unoccupied properties back on to the market. An additional 100 per cent would be charged for properties empty for between one and five years, 200 per cent for properties empty for five to 10 years, and 300 per cent where a property is empty for more than a decade.

Presenting two separate, but very much connected, motions Cllr Gavin Grant, cabinet member for finance described the issue of second homes as "contentious in many communities."

"There's a degree of anxiety as to the impact of second homes, particularly on house prices in areas of the county which are more desirable," he said.