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Tax bill bid to fill empty homes
Coun Simon Blackburn
MEASURES to reduce the number of long-term empty properties in Blackpool will see owners told to pay full council tax in future.
Town hall chiefs are recommending the current 50 per cent discount for properties left vacant for more than six months is scrapped.
It is hoped the move will be an incentive for more properties to be occupied, boosting housing provision and helping create stronger communities.
Owners would still be exempt from council tax for the first six months to enable renovations to be carried out, but the discount for long term empty properties would be axed.
This would affect around 1,450 properties in Blackpool which currently fall into this discount category.
It is also proposed to reduce the discount for second homes, which are properties which are furnished but unoccupied, from 50 per cent to 10 per cent, affecting around 761 properties.
Blackpool Council leader Coun Simon Blackburn said: “I’ve looked at the discounts that were in place for second homes and vacant properties and decided to make immediate changes.
“Increasing the council tax payments on these properties is designed to be an incentive to home owners to bring their vacant premises back into use which would be of benefit to the whole community.
“This is the first year these changes will be implemented so it’s hard to predict exactly what the impact will be but I’m confident it will successful in helping to reduce the number of empty properties we have in the town and the problems that come with them.”
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A report to councillors says: “If the cost of keeping a property empty rises, there is an added incentive to bring such properties back into use. Although many owners are already striving to dispose of long-term empty property which is proving difficult owing to the current slowdown in the housing market.
“While collection of full council tax from the owners of long term empty property would raise difficulties, it could encourage owners to either redouble their efforts to dispose of the property or, if possible, find tenants.”
Paul Bamber, chairman of the Fylde Coast Landlords Forum, said most landlords ensured their properties were occupied.
He said: “I can’t see this being a problem for our members.
“If the property isn’t let, it isn’t making any money for them so landlords want to get their properties into use.”
Nationally the government has launched an Empty Homes Strategy after it was estimated approximately three per cent of the country’s housing stock is unoccupied.
The changes to council tax in Blackpool will be considered at the council’s budget meeting on Friday February 24.
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Comments
There are 34 comments to this article
Page 1 of 3
David Oyke
Friday, February 24, 2012 at 01:07 AM25 Ageingbull. And you sir seem to be well adjusted to this sick society.
Benny1
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 07:37 AMCardy, I thought gas and electricity prices were coming down? Also you should be a comedian, when you say Camercon I honestly cannot hold my sides, the funniest thing I have ever heard. I hope someone does that Liebour one soon too, comedy gold that one
brookss4
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 01:42 PMChristian Cox is a nurse, TB was a nurse, KLO (on LEP) is a nurse. The only difference are that KLO claims to live in Whitechapel, whereas your Cox lives in Grange Park. Posting style the same, voted UKIP (strange though as Cox is a tory, wonder if his party realises this) and insults the same. Lets hope his postings are a little less vile now he cant hide behind his little tag name.
brookss4
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 01:39 PMThanks Cardy, Keep Labour Out (KLO as we refer to him), has suddenly stopped posting after I posted this Lets look at some more FACTS, he started posting on blackpool gazette Mar 2011, got exposed as True Blackpudlian, stops posting May 2011. Starts posting Jun 2011 in the Lep. True Blackpudlian (TB) claims to be a nurse working in Blackpool. Only one post TB in same thread as KLO, KLO later than TB. TB got banned in Mar 2011. Nov 2011 TB exposed as Christian Cox because he posted comments signed in as TB. You are such a liar KLO, now go away once and for all, or prove to us all you are not TB and not Christian Cox.
cardy
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 07:49 AMIf you think this is unfair what about the Tory Governments plans?MPs are to be asked to throw out restrictions to the government's proposed "bedroom tax" in the latest round of parliamentary wrangling over Iain Duncan Smith's welfare shake-up.Lord Best stated "While older tenants may have put aside a bit, few will be able to cope when faced with a new tax of £728 every year on top of the rises in their heating bills and other costs," he said. Typical Torys hitting those least well off at least this labour plan will hurt those with the most ie second homes
cardy
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 07:43 AMbrookss4#Councillor Cox did admit to using the user name of T.B. or trueblackpudlian on philtheones blog.He did threaten me with "action" though nothing ever came of it. .
brookss4
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 03:12 AMI guess this helped Christian Cox says:January 22, 2011 at 10:04 pm Apologies some of my recent comments are posting as ‘True Blackpudlian’, it is because I am using two different laptops because mine is out of action and it is automatically logged in as TB and silly me forgot to change it.
brookss4
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 03:11 AMHi Cardy wondering if you can help me with something. Dont know if you recall there was a poster "Keep Labour Out", he posted 8 months ago. He now posts on the LEP site, now claims he is a "nurse practitioner" for whitehall, but on here he was a business man from Grange Park. You accused him of being TB, who was TB. Also you accuse Christian Cox of being TB, did you ever get to the bottom of this one.
Witch
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 08:13 PMComment 20 . . Well said. This is a fantastic idea, why should the people who bought up all these properties thinking they could make a fast buck and when they can no longer rent it out or because of the economic climate or cannot make a fortune selling it, leaving it to rot. It should not matter wether it is bringing in money or not . . You own it then you pay council tax, hopefully the council will go one step further and tax them for causing the town looking so bad by not up-keeping the property or after a year the council will then take over the property for a 10th of it's value, which they then pass the low asking price onto people to get on to the property ladder and rejuvenate the area that way.
Ageingbull
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 07:48 PMDavid Oyke: A you an anarchist or a lunatic (or possibly both)?
David Oyke
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 07:33 PMGet rid of tax, get rid of government, get rid of regulations and give us a level playing field where we can pursue and be responsible for ourselves.
South_Shore
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 06:28 PMI wonder if the council would like to buy up some of these empty properties and bring them back into use? They could buy mine - no history of subsidence - or do they only buy off councillors? Crystal Road????
cardy
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 05:35 PMLets look at the bigger picture before we slate the labour council....Firstly, the budget the town recieves from the Government has been slashed,even Callow said it was too much too soon. Secondly do we really believe our councillors have the brains to think of this idea? It has probably been mooted around other councils first and our local council jumped on the bandwagon. Im in favour of this idea as we do have a housing shortage and this will encourage people to either rent out their property or sell sooner rather than later.DAVE PALMER its a shame you didnt keep your post constructive because if labour are the party of the housing benefit claimants then why are the TORY Government creating so many labour voters by dumping people on the dole? I know Camercon has his faults but to be creating so many labour supporters would suggest the man is stupid.
jaffacakes
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 05:21 PMProperty is holding steady in general but with very few transactions. Houses in blackpool are abysmal. The areas are rough as hell with so many scroungers and half wits. I'm amazed anybody would want to buy in blackpool, or rent for that matter. If the council are worried about empty homes then get the bulldozers out. A patch of grass would be nicer than half the sh1te that's there already. 50 grand for a terraced in blackpool.F*ck that, a cardboard box would be in better condition. If you've got sense, get out of blackpool.............it's a sh1thole.
trainspotter
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 04:19 PMA good idea too many properties being bought as "investments" this has pushed up prices so genuine buyers cant now afford them.
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