There are proposals afoot to increase the "second home owner" council tax rate from 90% to 200%!
For the life of me I can't see why this makes any sense at all? We have established time and time again on this blog that second home owners are now an integral part of the Salcombe economy, given this why would the council decide that it is a good idea to make them pay more. Surely paying 90% makes far more sense as less resources are used due to the very nature of the property being a "second home".
All I can see happening is the more astute second home owners reclassifying their second homes as "businesses", renting them out for 3 or 4 weeks a year and paying even less tax.
It's not far short of being as ridiculous as a recent proposal (nationwide) to charge more council tax for houses with sea views!!!
Monday 15 March 2010
Council Tax Rise for Salcombe Second Home Owners
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3 comments:
There are no proposals afoot, other than heresay and rumour! The subject of second homes is very emotive, both for "locals" and second home owners, and the various views have been very well covered by the local paper, discussed by councils, and thoroughly aired. In a free country and free market economy citizens are free to make a choice on how they spent their money, whether on sitting around in the sun getting pissed and moaning or working hard and eventually having enough to purchase a second home. Most second homes generate great wealth for the local economy through letting activity. Salcombe would still be in the dark ages, (with fishing, boatbuilding, manufacturing,and agriculture decimated), without tourism activity. The so called 200% proposed second home tax is pure socialist envy and rhetoric.
I cannot see the justification for anything other than 100% Council Tax, even if you don't use a resource is no justification for reducing the rates, for instance I paid to privately educate my children and I have pay for BUPA, but I don't ask for reduced rates. If everyone paid full rates SHDC could pay to repair Jubilee Pier and keep the East Portlemouth toilets open .... And afford some decent planners ....
G Browns comment is very close minded to assume that the local economy would have stayed in the dark ages were it not for the god like saviours that are second home owners.
Its another case of "rural means backward" in their own backward way of thinking. Just because we live in a rural area it doesn't mean that we don't have brains, thought processes and the ability to move with the times (i guess before people started coming here on holiday all the local folk were troglodytes)
Im not saying that the tourist trade is completely unnecessary but to have a 50% split even a 25-75% split would be more beneficial all round. it would create more stable jobs due to businesses being able open all year round instead of 3 months, possibly leading to more structured and acceptable pricing of day to day goods and even that of indulgence which would in turn have and effect on the tourists.
The tax for second homes should be increased to atleast 100% with a big chunk of that money coming to the town council to spend on Salcombe, improvements made on suggestion by locals (those that are employed in a business operating in the south hams, not including short lettings on homes) The very thought that second home owners have any rights to have an opinion on what happens in salcombe is scary! just look at the landscape that they have started to create here, if it carries on in 10 or 20 years time the whole point of coming here on holiday will be null and void as it will be an exact replica of the landscapes they see 11 months of the year.
One last note to G Brown I am one of them people who like to moan about important issues like this, and to get pissed occasionally as well but where i differ to what can only be assumed to be a slight on a salcombe local is that i have the ability to do this and save for a second home should i wish to - maybe i could buy your house in London or wherever it is you live, its probably worth the chewing gum gained to the bottom of my shoe when i set foot inside the town/city boundary
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