Flintshire: Council tax premium hike on empty homes backed

Members of a backbench Flintshire Council committee supported the proposals after one politician described the fact that 593 properties in the county are stood empty as "reprehensible".

It comes at a time when there are more than 2,000 people on the county's waiting list for social and affordable housing.

The local authority currently charges a premium rate of 75 per cent for homes which are unoccupied and "substantially unfurnished" for 12 months or more.

However, councillors argued that it should be lifted to 100 per cent, in line with the charge applied to second homes.

Liberal Democrat councillor David Coggins Cogan was among those who hit out at the situation at a meeting of the council's's corporate resources scrutiny committee.

He told colleagues that one home in his ward of Gwernaffield and Gwernymynydd had been unoccupied for more than 40 years.

He said: “I find the thought that there are homes within Flintshire that have been empty for decades reprehensible unless there's a very good reason for it.

“There's a house in my village which has been unoccupied since 1982 and it's just because the owner likes the village. He doesn't live in it but visits every now and again.

“Not only is it a blot on the landscape because the garden is only mown twice a year, but that is also a perfectly serviceable house that is sat there rotting.

“I just think it is a moral outrage when we have people going homeless.”

Figures contained within a report show that Flintshire's existing premium scheme raises around £1.2m in council tax per year.

If the charge for long-term empty properties was increased to 100 per cent, it would bring in an additional £286,000 in annual revenue.

Flintshire People's Voice group member Alasdair Ibbotson said premiums for both long-term empty properties and second homes should be increased further to 125 per cent, with 173 houses subject to the latter charge.

Cllr Ibbotson told last Thursday's (September 12, 2024) meeting: “There are clear arguments in favour of increasing our premiums. These include the council’s homelessness figures, the council's budget gap and the reasonably limited effect it’s had so far in terms of bringing homes back into use.

“It's also worth noting at this stage that Flintshire charges the lowest premium in north Wales on long term empty properties, and the second lowest on second homes.”

Officials said around one per cent of properties in Flintshire were classed as either second homes or being empty for long periods and any increase would need to reflect that.

A recent consultation on the proposals attracted 215 responses, with 55 per cent of those who took part arguing that the premium for long-term empty properties should either stay the same, be lowered, or not charged at all.

That figure increased to 67 per cent in relation to second homes, although an officer said this may have been skewed by people subject to the charge.

David Barnes, the council's revenues and procurement manager, also cautioned that the premium should not be used to balance the authority's books.

He said: “There's a requirement for Flintshire to look at its own needs based on the circumstances on the ground in the county, as opposed to looking over the garden fence at other local authorities.

“Whilst we have financial figures that are contained in the report, it is not there in terms of raising revenue just for setting a balanced budget.”

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The majority of the committee supported increasing the charge for long-term empty properties to 100 per cent, whilst keeping the premium for second homes the same.

They also asked officers to consider introducing a gradual uplift each year depending on how long homes have been left vacant.

A final decision on whether rates will be increased will be made at a full council meeting in the near future, with any changes effective from April 2025.