Second Homes: Pembrokeshire's council tax premium could double

The additional council tax paid by second home owners in one county in Wales could double next year.

Pembrokeshire cabinet members have voted in favour of raising it from 50% to 100% from April 2022, but the final decision will be made by all councillors later this month.

Gwynedd councillors have already voted to raise the second home council tax premium to 100%.

If it goes ahead, 75% of the money would be spent on affordable housing.

The remaining 25% would be spent on the Enhancing Pembrokeshire fund.

Cabinet member Bob Kilmister told the meeting Pembrokeshire had a "serious social problem" with second homes accounting for 40% of properties in some coastal communities.

He said the current situation was "not the basis for sustainable communities."

The 100% surcharge on second homes would generate an extra £3.3m annually, and would provide enough income to build an extra 106 affordable homes.

The empty homes surcharge will remain as it is, but Mr Kilmister said the council needed to get more of them back into use.

There are currently about 1,100 empty properties in Pembrokeshire alone.

Tessa Hodgson was the only cabinet member to vote against the proposal, saying there could be "unintended consequences".

She feared more second home owners would register their second homes as businesses and transfer to non-domestic tax rates.

Phil Baker said he did not want "second home owners to be demonised" but on balance he would be supporting the proposal.

While, Cris Tomos told fellow cabinet members there was "a housing crisis" in Pembrokeshire but any proposals needed to strike a balance.

The proposal was carried by eight votes to one.

The full council will discuss the proposal on 14 October.