A second home owner has hit out at Welsh Government's decision to introduce tough new rules aimed at combating the number of second homes in rural Welsh communities.
On Wednesday morning the government announced the new plans would include an increase to the maximum level of council tax premiums for second homes, as well as new local tax rules for holiday lets.
The Welsh Government said the changes represent more steps taken to ensure people can find an affordable home in the place they have grown up.
The measures are part of a wider commitment to address the issue of second homes and unaffordable housing facing many communities in Wales, as set out in the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.
Read more: The second homes crisis in the part of Wales worst hit
The new measures would see the maximum level at which local authorities can set council tax premiums on second homes and long-term empty properties will be increased to 300%, which will be effective from April 2023.
But Jonathan Martin, who lives in Altrincham, has a second home in Gwynedd and is a spokesman for Home Owners of Wales Group described the move as "morally indefensible".
While speaking on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast with Clare Summers on Wednesday morning, he said: "It's astounding and morally indefensible especially during this time when just normal working people have struggled through the Covid period.
"We come out of it luckily, and we are facing huge energy bill rises, mortgage debts that we didn't have before and we are faced an announcement from the Welsh Government, in the middle of the Ukraine problem and destabilization of the world economy, saying we are going to raise your council tax by 300%.
"Where did they think we were going to get this 300% from?"
He added: "I can't afford it, that's for sure and I'm quite sure a lot of other people can't afford it. It's astounding and it's in the middle of consultations that we are having with them. They have not told us that this was going on until we heard this morning.
"It's bad manners at the highest level and it has to stop. We have to do this by negotiation not by diktat.
"I dare say a number of people will have to sell their properties, but I think the biggest threat to the Welsh Government will be that we have been advised that it's absolutely unlawful, so I don't know where we go from that - we'll have to have a big discussion as a group.
"We're financially able to take on the Welsh Government if they force this through without further acquiescence with us."
The new measures will enable councils to decide the level that is appropriate for their individual local circumstances. Councils will be able to set the premium at any level up to the maximum, and they will be able to apply different premiums to second homes and long-term empty dwellings.
Premiums are currently set at a maximum level of 100% and were paid on more than 23,000 properties in Wales this year. Local authorities opting to apply premiums have access to additional funding, and the Welsh Government has encouraged councils to use these resources to improve the supply of affordable housing.
The criteria for self-catering accommodation being liable for business rates instead of council tax will also change from next April.
Currently, properties that are available to let for at least 140 days, and that are actually let for at least 70 days, will pay rates rather than council tax. The change will increase these thresholds to being available to let for at least 252 days and actually let for at least 182 days in any 12-month period.
The change is intended to provide a clearer demonstration that the properties concerned are being let regularly as part of genuine holiday accommodation businesses making a substantial contribution to the local economy.
Both changes follow a consultation processes including businesses, the tourism industry and local communities.
During the interview, Jonathan said that he divided most of his time between England and Wales - he would often time in Gwynedd during the week and on weekends, and he expressed his love for Wales, Welsh people, language and culture.
When asked if he understood that others might consider he was taking up a home that could be lived in all year round, he said: "I wouldn't accept that at all.
"For example, my own family goes back into Wales, goes back to 1690. For anyone to say I'm not part of the local community is ridiculous.
"They don't talk to you like this, they have no idea who we are, they have no idea how much we earn. The whole thing - using council tax is the wrong machine. They are going up the wrong road at the moment completely."
In response to what he would say to Julie James MS, the Minister for Climate Change, he said: "We've written to Julie James that many times to try and hold a meeting and we've not had the courtesy of a reply.
"The first thing is to start treating us with a little bit of respect and then we can talk, and after we talk we can probably come to some sort of a method to work this problem out. But at the moment, they are going to end up in quicksand."
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