Calls for student council tax exemptions to end

County Durham is missing out on £11m of council tax due to student exemptions

A campaign has been launched to reimburse millions of pounds of council tax lost through student exemptions.

City of Durham Parish Council is calling for student properties to no longer be exempt from paying after data found £11m was going uncollected.

The council argues the income being lost is enough to plug the financial deficit in Durham County Council's budget.

The county council said it could not change council tax criteria, which is set nationally by the government.

A total of 6,196 properties benefit from student exemptions, while an additional 1,857 properties were exempt for being purpose-built student accommodation or ‘disregards’, according to data from the county council.

Nearly all of the county's houses in multiple occupation are located in Durham City, with most used by students, the Local Democracry Reporting Service reports.

Councillor Alan Doig, the parish council's chair, said he recognised the importance of Durham University but described the figures as "quite horrifying".

Mr Doig said: "We are now in the position that a significant number of properties are being used as student accommodation and are therefore exempt from paying any council tax towards all the local services they receive from the county council.

"It is a scandalous loophole in the tax regime that landlords are not required to contribute towards any funding of these vital services, which are available to all."

Victoria Murray, from Durham County Council, said: "The criteria for council tax exemptions and ‘disregards’ is set nationally by government and is applied by local authorities across the country.

"We do not have any local discretion in this regard and must apply the national rules here in County Durham."