Council tax premium on empty and second homes slammed as ‘legalised extortion and unfair’

Dale Spridgeon, local democracy reporter

Council tax premiums on second homes and empty properties have been branded “legalised extortion” as a row erupted during a council meeting.

Defenders of Anglesey council’s policy said it was the only way to “keep control” of holiday and second homes on the island and was in place in order to bring empty properties back into use as part of efforts to tackle a “housing crisis”.

The spat broke out between Plaid Cymru, which has overall control of the council, and the Anglesey Independents.

During the meeting last week, the council approved its 2025/25 budget, and agreed to increase council tax by 8.5%, which represents 7.85% for council services and 0.65% to meet the increase in the fire service levy.

The level of council tax premium will remain at 100% for both empty and second homes, the council’s deputy leader and portfolio holder for finance and housing Cllr Robin Williams said.

The budget had been “careful and thrifty” and designed to protect the most vulnerable through the protection of services, he stated.

Penalised 

But the opposition argued that the council’s policy of raising premiums on second and empty houses had penalised some island locals.

Cllr Aled Morris Jones, leader of the Anglesey Independents, said some were “struggling” to meet the payments after inheriting family properties.

Some did not want or were unable to rent or sell due to renovations costs, their age or ill health, he said.

“There are local people who own empty homes that have to be sold because they can’t find a way to pay the premium”, he said.

“It’s legalised extortion and unfair, there aren’t enough exceptions.

“Some properties have been in Welsh speaking families on the island for decades and there are some who just can’t afford to pay.”

But Plaid Cymru councillors defended their policy, saying it encouraged owners “lucky enough” to have a second house to sell or let to help provide others with a home.

Holiday lets

Cllr Williams argued that the premium was the council’s “only lever” to “keep control” of holiday lets on the island.

“The whole idea of empty homes is to incentivise owners to let them or do them up to live in if they can’t do that, to be homes for other people,” he said.

In response, Cllr Morris Jones said: “But I don’t see it as an incentive… there are people out there, Welsh speaking people, who are worried because of this.”

Leader Cllr Gary Pritchard explained the council tax premium would stay at 100% because the island, like the nation, faced a “crisis with homelessness and poverty”.

“If you have the ability to own two homes it is only right to help those who can’t,” he said.

“If you don’t want to pay the premium let it, so a family can live in that property. I want to see homes on the island not empty houses.”

During the debate, Cllr Nicola Roberts said she had felt some members had been “grandstanding”.

She accused Cllr Morris Jones of “wanting an island full of empty homes”.

She said: “People complain about selling empty houses but do you want an empty home or would you like to see a family living there, using the schools, paying taxes, etc?

“Yes there are some facing difficulties, so sell them.”

For anyone struggling, there were also council grants to bring houses back into use, and up to £25,000 for home restoration, she said.