The new Westmorland and Furness Council has agreed to introduce a 100% council tax premium on second homes.
The shadow authority for the new council, which covers most of the Lake District, yesterday agreed the local authority’s budget for 2023/24.
As well as setting out plans to implement a 4.99% rise in council tax from 1 April, the council agreed to double the council tax on second homes to help tackle the affordable housing crisis in the area.
The local authority is also introducing a 200% premium for properties kept empty for more than five years, and even higher charges from April 2024 for properties kept empty for more than 10 years.
Cllr Andrew Jarvis, cabinet member for Finance, said: ‘Housing is a huge local issue and one that we are prioritising. We want housing to be available for local people and we don’t want homes wasted, lying empty for years. The additional income we generate from these decisions will help fund work to tackle the housing challenges that we face in our area.’
