DOUBLING COUNCIL TAX ON SECOND HOMES

That this House notes that the South Lakes area has one of the highest levels of second home ownership in the country; acknowledges the effect second home ownership can have on rural communities, including the decline and closure of key local services and amenities; recognises the effect second home ownership has on the supply of housing at a time when so many people and families struggle to attain a home of their own; calls on the Government to give local councils the power to double council tax on second homes; and believes this would provide councils in areas with high second-home ownership with a fair and effective way of raising money to fund key local services and deliver affordable homes for lower income families.