Plaid Cymru councillor calls for tax on second homes to be doubled in Caerphilly
Rhiannon James, local democracy reporter
A Plaid Cymru councillor has called for council tax on second homes to be doubled.
Cllr John Roberts, who represents the Aber Valley ward, said Caerphilly County Borough Council should follow the lead of councils in Swansea, Gwynedd and Pembrokeshire.
Cllr Roberts said money raised from doubling the council tax could be used for small projects in local communities.
There are 234 second homes in the county borough – 36 of which are in Caerphilly, while 23 are in the St Cattwg ward. There are six second homes in Cllr Roberts’ Aber Valley ward.
This information was revealed after Cllr Roberts submitted a Freedom of Information request to the council.
Cllr Roberts said doubling the council tax on second homes could generate more than £350,000 a year, based on Band D properties.
He also suggested the money could also be used to boost the recent Community Empowerment Fund announced by the council.
If a second home was acquired because a relative had died, Cllr Roberts suggested a grace period of six or 12 months could be applied before charging the additional council tax.
Cllr Roberts intends to raise the findings at the next Plaid Cymru group meeting – with the aim of raising the issue through a notice of motion at a future council meeting.
He said: “I would hope councillors from other parties would support this.”
‘By ward’
Number of second homes by ward:
Aber Valley – 6
Abercarn – 8
Argoed – 4
Bargoed – 15
Bedwas. Trethomas and Machen – 11
Blackwood – 12
Caerphilly (Morgan Jones and St Martin’s wards) – 19
Cefn Fforest – 2
Crosskeys – 8
Crumlin – 7
Darran Valley – 3
Draethen, Waterloo and Rudry (Part of the St James ward) – 3
Llanbradach and Pwllypant – 6
Maesycwmmer – 4
Nelson – 10
New Tredegar – 12
Newbridge – 11
Pengam – 2
Penmaen – 6
Penyrheol, Trecenydd and Energlyn – 17
Pontllanfraith – 7
Rhymney – 15
Risca West – 14
St Cattwg – 23
Van (Part of the St James ward) – 3
Ynysddu – 6
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This isn’t always as simple as it seems. I’m no fan of holiday homes for incomers, but because I own two houses in the same town this sort of action is going to have a really bad financial effect on me. Here’s the short form – via inheritance (and there was little money attached) I came by two comparatively small houses, barely ten minutes walk apart. neither is big enough for our family so we use one to live in and the other as a large comfortable shed for a lot of our stuff and because it has a lawn… Read more »
Having 2 small houses beats the hell out of having NO small house. That said I have some sympathy with your predicament as inherited property can be a real headache to dispose of. Old, sometimes very old people can leave houses in poor repair and way off any norms of modern building regs etc. So doing them up to sell on can be daunting especially as you may end up somewhat out of pocket while waiting to get a deal. Renting them out will not be an option because government demands high standards for ingoing tenants even though they may… Read more »
All second homes 🏠 in wales 🏴 must be taxed at 100 percent and no more second homes in wales 🏴 take all second homes of them and give them to young welsh people who can’t get on the housing market because of incomers it’s time for a new wales 🏴