Issue - meetings

The Chairman of the Residents’ Services Select Committee, Councillor Wayne Bridges, presented the Committee’s review to Cabinet, which was warmly supported.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet considers the findings of the Committee’s review and agrees to support their recommendations below as part of the Council Tax setting process and MTFF budgets recommended to full Council.

Committee recommendations, recommended by Cabinet to Council:

1. To increase the current Empty Homes Council Tax Premium, applicable to non-exempt properties empty for more than two years, from the current 50% to 100% from the 2023/24 financial year;
2. To phase in increases to the current Empty Homes Council Tax Premium, applicable to non-exempt properties empty for more than five / ten years, to the maximum premium allowable of 200% / 300% respectively and from financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26 respectively;
3. To note the 2 specific circumstances where the application of the Premium cannot be applied, as set out in the report.

Reasons for decision

The Select Committee Chairman presented a report to Cabinet into his Committee’s review on the Council’s application of the Empty Homes Council Tax Premium on non-exempt properties, which had recommended increasing the Premiums to the maximum levels permitted. It was noted that this would seek to reduce the number of such empty properties in the Borough and encourage owners sell or refurbish their property, potentially reducing the Council’s expenditure on temporary accommodation and the impact of such empty properties upon neighbours.

The Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services thanked the Committee for its review and outlined his support for the recommendations, also noting they were ultimately a decision for full Council. The Leader of the Council thanked the Chairman and Committee and welcomed how this would support residents blighted by empty properties along with bringing about additional housing and revenue income for the Council.

Cabinet agreed forward the recommendations to the full Council in order to incorporate the changes in the Council Taxbase calculations, to be considered in January 2023.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have chosen not to support the recommendations or amend them.