Second homeowners in UK beauty spot could pay twice as much council tax as villagers

Second home owners in a UK beauty spot could be forced to pay twice as much council tax as villagers.

Days after North Yorkshire County Council's executive agreed to investigate whether raising taxes in Whitby could effectively levy a 100% council tax rise, second homeowners have said they are just "easy targets for a complicated problem".

The local authority has heralded the proposal, which it believes could generate £14m extra a year for its services.

The move is seen as a signal of its intent to get to grips with the lack of affordable housing affecting communities, particularly in the county's national parks and coastal areas.

Last month residents in Whitby voted overwhelmingly in favour of introducing measures to reduce the number of homes being used for holiday accommodation, reports Teesside Live.

Second home owners have said they are just 'easy targets for a complicated problem' (Getty Images)

That followed last year's Rural Commission recommending actions to reverse the ongoing exodus of young families from areas where house prices are many times above-average wages.

The county council's leadership says interventions are needed more than ever to release homes for local residents, particularly following the widely reported post-pandemic surge in second home purchases in North Yorkshire villages.

Askrigg in Wensleydale is now comprised of about 70 per cent second homes and holiday lets.

However, second homeowners have voiced dismay over the proposal to levy the premium from April 2024 if the Government introduces the necessary legislation, questioning whether it would harm the local economy or be effective in reducing property prices or increasing the housing stock for locals.

Debate on online forums such as the Dales Home Owners Action Group has seen members condemn the proposal as "half-baked".

The county council's leadership says interventions are needed more than ever to release homes for local residents in Whitby (Getty Images)

One objector stated: "We are easy targets for a complicated problem and it won't mean that the locals suddenly have lots of cheap houses or massive pay rises."

Hawes and High Abbotside Parish Council chair Councillor Jill McMullon said the proposal was "nonsense" as it had so many loopholes.

She said: "People will just say their holiday home in North Yorkshire is their permanent home. How are they going to police that?"

Second homeowners have said if the premium is introduced they would recoup their losses by shipping in groceries instead of using local shops and services less frequently.