Second homes tax protest reaches North Yorkshire councillors
A petition demanding the suspension of a 100 per cent council tax premium on second homes in North Yorkshire will be debated by councillors.
The 1,000-signature petition by the campaign group SHOUT (Second Homeowners Opposed to Unfair Taxation), which is against North Yorkshire Council’s double council tax charge on second homes, will be debated by members at a meeting next week.
The group argues the council should halt the policy until it has carried out a full assessment and consultation on the measure, which was introduced last year and was re-approved in April.
The levy has raised millions of pounds for the authority’s housing projects but SHOUT – which was founded in Filey and has around 150 members – argues that councils should consider the impact on businesses, local services, the wider economy and which properties should be included before implementing such a premium.
However, the council has issued detailed rebuttals to points raised in the petition, and officers have recommended that councillors note the points raised instead of supporting the petition or recommending further consideration of the levy.
In a report, issued ahead of next week’s meeting of the Thirsk and Malton Area Committee, officers highlighted that in 2025, the council agreed to make £20 million of second homes council tax income available through a dedicated Second Homes Council Tax Housing Fund.
SHOUT’S Chris Hall, organiser of the petition, previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Its effects have been disastrous without any tangible benefits to local housing needs, this being evident from the drop in second home prices with a knock-on effect on all property prices.”
The petition requests that North Yorkshire Council suspend the second homes council tax premium pending a further review of its social, economic and housing impacts.
It also raises concerns regarding consultation undertaken prior to implementation of the premium, and the need for additional impact assessment work.
The council report states: “The petition refers to Government guidance published in November 2024 and officers note that the council’s decision was taken more than eight months before publication of the Government guidance.”
It adds that whilst the petitioners suggest that a separate consultation should have been undertaken with second homeowners, there was “no statutory requirement to do so and the council considered it appropriate to seek views through a wider public consultation reflecting the interests of all residents, businesses and communities affected by housing availability, local services and council taxation”.
Councillor Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire Council, recently said: “This is one of the solutions that we have come up with to address a problem that has been around for a lot of years.
“In some areas it’s becoming a crisis for young families who can’t afford not just to buy their own property, but even to rent their own property.
“We know that there are communities, not just in Filey and not just on the coast, but in other parts of North Yorkshire where if you go on a Wednesday night in the middle of winter, you won’t see a light on in the majority of houses because they are not lived in, so we’re trying to address the problem.
“And we’re the only council in England that has pledged that the money that we raise through the second homes premium — and it could be up to £12m a year — we will spend it on housing initiatives.”
Members of the public are invited to attend the meeting of the Thirsk and Malton Area Committee on Friday, September 25.
