North Yorkshire's Second Homes Council Tax Premium Plan Set Back

Monday, 24 April 2023 06:20

By Charlie Hopper

North Yorkshire Councils' hopes of introducing a 100 percent council tax premium on second homes in Whitby, Scarborough and Filey looks set to be delayed.

North Yorkshire Council hoped to introduce the measure next April, but it's reliant on new government legislation which is passing more slowly though parliament than expected.

Councillor Gareth Dadd says the measure is dependant on the Governments "Levelling up and Regeneration Bill" and says progress passing the bill has slowed as the House of Lords undertakes a line by line assessment of the proposed legislation.

The scheme was proposed to double council tax bills for second homeowners in North Yorkshire in a bid to help tackle the shortage of housing in the area and prevent local houses from turning into holiday lets.

Analysis has shown that the introduction of a 100 per cent premium on council tax bills for second homes in North Yorkshire could generate in excess of £14 million a year in additional revenue.

The Scarborough district has the potential to bring in almost half of that figure due to the large number of second homes in coastal towns such as Whitby, Scarborough and Filey.

North Yorkshire has the highest number of second homes in the region, and concerns have been voiced that the trend is undermining the availability of housing for local communities as well as inflating property prices.

Whitby councillor David Chance - says new measures do need to be put in place to ensure that there is more housing available for local residents.

The idea of introducing the council tax premium on second homes in North Yorkshire remains council policy but can't be introduced until the Government’s new proposed legislation does become enshrined in law.

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