Cornwall Council presses ministers on second homes tax rise

Cornwall Council is "pressing" the government to allow it to charge second home owners additional council tax

Owners of second homes in Cornwall could see a rise in council tax bills amid cuts in services and jobs by the council, a meeting was told.

Cornwall Council's budget proposals cut £55m of spending including 410 jobs, and were supported by the cabinet.

Deputy leader David Harris said the authority was continuing to lobby the government to allow it to charge second home owners additional council tax.

He said an increase would "raise significant revenue" for the council.

A committee meeting in November heard that the Conservative-controlled council was also asking the government to make planning permission obligatory when switching a property to a second home and for the ability to charge double council tax.

The budget plans are to be considered by scrutiny committees and undergo public consultation, with the full council due to make a final decision in February.

Council leader Linda Taylor told the cabinet meeting she was "proud" of the work which had been done to draw up the budget in a way which she says "deals with the challenges and meets the priorities of residents", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

She said that the budget would help the council meet its targets to become carbon neutral and help people in Cornwall to "start well, live well and age well".

The proposals would see council tax rise by 2.99%, which the authority said was the equivalent of 96p per week for a Band D property and would "protect crucial front line services for residents".

The public consultation has started and would continue for six weeks, the council said.