Agenda item

NOTICE OF MOTION SUBMITTED BY COUNCILLOR CEFIN CAMPBELL

“Notice of Motion Second Homes / Holiday Homes

 

Notes that 1,118 homes in Carmarthenshire are defined as second homes. A second home is defined as a property that is not the sole or main dwelling of the owner. 

  

Further notes that there has been a recent increase across Wales in the number of houses being bought as second homes or holiday homes for rent or letting as AirBnB (including Carmarthenshire). In some parts of the country as much as 40% of the housing stock is a second home. As a result local people (especially young people) find it difficult if not impossible to buy a property as they are too often priced out of the housing market. This obviously has a detrimental effect on the demography of the area, social cohesion and the Welsh language. 

 

Although Carmarthenshire County Council welcomes Welsh Government’s intention to add a 1% increase in Land Transaction Tax on the purchase of a second home we do not believe it goes far enough to meet the housing crisis facing some of our rural communities. We therefore call on Welsh Government to:  

  • Change planning laws to ensure that planning permission must be sought for the change of use of a primary dwelling into a second home / holiday accommodation; 
  • Allow local authorities, in consultation with the local community, to set a 'cap' on the number of second homes in each ward, and allow the use of Section 106 agreements to prevent new properties from being used as second homes in wards with an unacceptable proportion of second homes; 
  • Introduce a licensing system for managing the conversion of a residential property into a commercial unit such as a holiday unit / house or AirBnB; 
  • Close the loophole that allows second homes to register as businesses in order to opt out of paying domestic rates and Council Tax Premiums, and take advantage of business rate relief;  
  • Introduce legislation to further increase the Land Transaction Tax (LTT) on the purchase of second properties. 

Once these policy changes have been approved by Welsh Government, Carmarthenshire County Council will then consider charging a Council Tax Premium of at least 200% on second homes”

Minutes:

[NOTE: Councillors D.C. Evans, K.V. Broom, S.M. Allen, R. James, H.A.L. Evans, J.G. Prosser, K. Lloyd, S.A. Curry, B. Thomas, D.M. Cundy, E. Dole, J. K. Howell, G.R. Jones, B.D.J. Phillips, L.D. Evans, S.L. Davies, G. Davies and A.S.J. McPherson earlier declared interests in this item and were not present during consideration of the item.  Cllr. A.D.T. Speak had also declared an interest but remained in the meeting as the Notice of Motion did not relate to the type of interest declared by him].

 

Council considered the following Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Cefin Campbell:-

 

“Notes that 1,118 homes in Carmarthenshire are defined as second homes.  A second home is defined as a property that is not the sole or main dwelling of the owner.

 

Further notes that there has been a recent increase across Wales in the number of houses being bought as second homes or holiday homes for rent or letting as AirBnB (including Carmarthenshire). In some parts of the country as much as 40% of the housing stock is a second home. As a result local people (especially young people) find it difficult if not impossible to buy a property as they are too often priced out of the housing market. This obviously has a detrimental effect on the demography of the area, social cohesion and the Welsh language.

 

Although Carmarthenshire County Council welcomes Welsh Government’s intention to add a 1% increase in Land Transaction Tax on the purchase of a second home we do not believe it goes far enough to meet the housing crisis facing some of our rural communities. We therefore call on Welsh Government to:

  • Change planning laws to ensure that planning permission must be sought for the change of use of a primary dwelling into a second home / holiday accommodation;
  • Allow local authorities, in consultation with the local community, to set a 'cap' on the number of second homes in each ward, and allow the use of Section 106 agreements to prevent new properties from being used as second homes in wards with an unacceptable proportion of second homes;
  • Introduce a licensing system for managing the conversion of a residential property into a commercial unit such as a holiday unit / house or AirBnB;
  • Close the loophole that allows second homes to register as businesses in order to opt out of paying domestic rates and Council Tax Premiums, and take advantage of business rate relief;
  • Introduce legislation to further increase the Land Transaction Tax (LTT) on the purchase of second properties.

Once these policy changes have been approved by Welsh Government, Carmarthenshire County Council will then consider charging a Council Tax Premium of at least 200% on second homes.

The motion was duly seconded.

 

The proposer and seconder of the Motion were afforded the opportunity of speaking in support thereof and outlined the reasons for its submission, as set out in the Motion.

 

A number of statements were made both in support of and against the Motion.

 

RESOLVED that the Notice of Motion be supported and referred to Welsh Government.