Issue - meetings

Council Tax - Removal of Empty Property Discount Allowance for Prescribed Class C Dwellings

Meeting: 19/11/2019 - Corporate Overview Scrutiny Committee (Item 13)

13 Council Tax - Removal of Empty Property Discount Allowance for Prescribed Class C Dwellings pdf icon PDF 555 KB

To consider the report of the Chief Officer Resources.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report of the Chief Officer Resources which was presented to provide details of the current policy with regard to the Council Tax discounts.

 

The Chief Officer Resources spoke to the report and highlighted the main points contained therein.

 

A Member enquired if a levy could be imposed once a long term empty property had been sold.  The Chief Officer Resources said that this proposal could be explored but the focus was to get properties back into habitable use.  Grants were currently available to bring properties back to a habitable level.

 

In response to a Member’s question regarding collection rates, the Chief Officer Resources said that collection rates were approximately 95%.

 

A Member enquired if prior notification would need to be given.  The Chief Officer Resources said that if Committee agreed the proposal, engagement with landlords and owners/occupiers would need to be undertaken before 2020. 

 

The Chief Officer commented that the Welsh Government was changing the funding formula and would no longer take into account the discounts for Class C properties.  The Council could see a reduction in funding of approximately £480,000.

 

The Chair noted paragraph 6.3 which referred to the many positive results in encouraging empty homes back into use.

 

The Committee AGREED to recommend that the report be accepted and endorse Option 1; namely that the Scrutiny Committee considered and recommend that Council approve to set the current discount for Class A, B & C dwellings at 0% with effect from the 1st April 2020.