Council forced into second homes climbdown after ‘fiery' residents' revolt
A Scottish council could be forced into reversing its second home tax raid after a revolt from residents.
North Ayrshire Council is reviewing the impact of the policy on the island of Great Cumbrae after residents complained it would harm their economy, which is reliant on tourism.
The SNP-led authority imposed a 100pc council tax premium on second home owners last month, sparking an opposition movement among its 1,400 residents.
The majority of Scottish authorities introduced similar charges after being given the power to do so in 2024.
More than 200 authorities in England also launched a second homes raid this year – something The Telegraph is campaigning against.
There are 450 second homes on Cumbrae, a small island situated one mile – or a 10-minute ferry – from the Scottish mainland. Its close proximity to the mainland makes it an attractive destination.
One in three properties on Cumbrae are a second home while around a quarter of residents work in tourism-related jobs.
An impact assessment found the council tax raid would strip £500,000 off the island's annual GDP of £12.9m.
Cameron Inglis, the Conservative leader on North Ayrshire Council, said the reaction from residents had been 'fiery'.
He told The Telegraph: 'We are asking second home owners to pay double, get nothing in return, so that we can balance our budget gap.
'The whole thing has been pushed through so that supposedly rich people can plug a budget gap. The whole thing is a sham. It's smoke and mirrors.'
Mr Inglis added that ringfencing 10pc of the additional revenue for affordable housing was the equivalent to £110,000, which would pay for the construction of approximately 20 houses a year, built using council money and government grants.
He said: 'That's not 20 houses for the island. That's 20 houses across the whole county. It's a drop in the water when it comes to the number of houses we need.'
Alex Harvie, chairman of the Cumbrae Community Council, said the premium would force second home owners to sell up, reduce income for the island and could 'start a spiral of decline' as facilities fall into disrepair.
In an appeal to North Ayrshire Council to re-examine the impact on the island, he accused the authority of rushing through the policy before the completion of a three-month review period to allow it to respond to the initial impact assessment.
The council's initial impact assessment found 'concerns' with the economic impact on Great Cumbrae and cast doubt as to whether it would benefit housing availability. It conceded the island 'may not lend itself or be suitable for permanent island living'.
A consultation, of which around 60pc of the respondents were not second home owners, also found widespread opposition to the policy. Only 38pc were in favour of the premium while 59pc were against.
North Ayrshire has now been forced to review its original impact assessment following the pressure applied by the community council.
A public consultation has been opened with the council accepting representations from residents, visitors and businesses until May 20.
A spokesman for North Ayrshire Council said: 'Like other councils across Scotland who have already adopted this measure, we hope to see real long-term benefits to the availability of housing for people in communities across North Ayrshire, and for homes to be occupied for longer periods of time throughout the year.'
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