November 23, 2021 - 1803 views
Councillors in Conwy will be asked to decide on the level of Council Tax Premium on second homes and long term empty homes for 2022/23 at meetings over the next few weeks.
The premium is designed to encourage owners to bring empty properties into use and support the increase of affordable housing for purchase or let in local communities.
A public consultation took place during the summer when the council invited second and long term empty property owners, as well as those who don’t own such properties, to give their opinions on what the premium should be.
People were also invited to give their opinion on what effect the premium has on tourism, the Welsh language and affordable housing. Over 900 responses were received.
The results of the consultation and a range of other information has been considered by the Affordable Housing (Council Tax Premium) Working Group.
Councillor Brian Cossey, Cabinet Member for Finance, Revenues and Benefits, said, “This is a complicated issue, and research and the work that goes into considering the impact on the economy and the Welsh language of additional council tax premiums is an important part of our considerations.
"It’s also important to note the proposal that, as previously, the funds raised support pressures in the Council’s Housing Services budget.”
The report was considered by Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 15 November and will go to Cabinet on 23 November and Council on 9 December.
The report can be seen here Conwy Local Democracy : Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday, 23 November 2021, 2.00 pm and the meetings are broadcast.
