Empty property tax consultation

A CONSULTATION will be held to see if people support increasing council tax payments on holiday homes and longempty properties.

The decision was made at a meeting of Powys County Council’s (PCC) cabinet on Tuesday.

It is thought that increasing the amount owners have to pay will be an incentive for these properties to be used.

If the consultation is favourable, PCC will have an option to double the council tax bill on them.

Portfolio holder for finance, Cllr Aled Davies (Conservative, Llanrhaeadrym-Mochant & Llansilin) said: “It’s important that we try and get as many empty properties as we can into the system.

“There’s always pressures on residents not being able to find suitable housing. The more we can do to help the better.”

Cllr Davies explained that in 2016 the previous administration had brought in a council tax premium that added an extra 50% on top of the council tax bill for these properties.

The data showed that nearly 200 properties had come into use the following year, but since then the figures have gradually gone up.

Cllr Davies: “We have a significant number of empty properties and we will run a consultation on the possibility of increasing the premium charged on those houses.”

Portfolio holder for housing, Cllr James Evans (Conservative, Gwernyfed) added: “We have a homeless crisis and we have a number of people across the county that are in temporary accommodation. We need to get them in to suitable housing.”

But Cllr Myfanwy Alexander was concerned that this could affect farming families.

She explained that if the head of the family died, the family homestead could be empty for a few years, before a child was able to move in.

This change could force families to sell their traditional home.

The decision to holding a consultation was voted though unanimously.