A SCOTTISH council has raked in millions after doubling council tax on second homes.
Last year, the Scottish Parliament approved legislation which allows local authorities in Scotland to increase the council tax on second homes by up to 200%.
Highland Council immediately took advantage of the legislation and applied the increased council tax on all long-term empty and second homes in the authority.
The council now charges £2267 per year for a Band A property and £8086 for a Band H property if they are being used as second homes.
According to a report published by Highland Council, the measure has brought in £5.42 million this year and resulted in many homes being returned to permanent, residential use.
The report stated: “At the time of reporting, further analysis of the 212 reductions in second homes and long-term empty homes indicates 19 of those billed have moved to non-domestic rates; 13 per cent have been awarded council tax exemptions, e.g. agricultural.
“Most properties, 63.4 per cent, were returned to occupation as main residences and staff accommodation, thus delivering the policy intent.”
The money earned goes some way to contributing to the council’s planned savings target of £31.4 million, although the latest forecast suggests it is likely to miss this target by at least £2.5 million.
However, a separate scheme which encourages campervan and motorhome owners to pay £40 a week for the use of council car parks has not been so successful.
The voluntary Highland Campervan and Motorhome Scheme encouraged travellers to pay the fee in order to gain access to dedicated overnight car parks and some leisure facilities.
It was hoped the scheme would reduce pressure on some facilities and alleviate issues associated with high levels of tourism in the region.
Yet the council’s report found that it brought in just £40,000, significantly below the target income of £500,000.
The council said it understood the scheme “has attracted a mixed response” and announced that it would be implementing “infrastructure improvements which aim to address some of the issues associated with increasing level of tourism”.
It comes after a Tory MSP called for the scheme to be scrapped following objections from business owners.
