Issue - meetings

Council Tax Empty Property Discounts

Meeting: 18/01/2017 - Policy and Resources Committee (Item 169)

169 Report of the Director of Mid Kent Services - Council Tax Empty Property Discounts pdf icon PDF 77 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

That the Committee recommends to Council that the Council Tax Empty Property Discount Policy as set out in Appendix 1 to the report of the Director of Mid Kent Services be approved as amended.

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Mid Kent Services on Council Tax Empty Property Discounts.

 

Councillors Harper and McLoughlin, having declared an interest in this item left the room.

 

Councillors English and Pickett returned to the meeting at the start of this item.

 

Members were informed that under the Local Government Finance Act 2012 the Council had discretionary powers to vary the Council Tax discounts for certain categories of empty properties whilst maintaining a range of mandatory discounts and exemptions.

 

The Acting Head of Revenues and Benefits set out the two discretions that would be removed and advised that in doing so the Council would generate additional council tax and savings.

 

In response to a question from the committee the Acting Head of Revenues and Benefits advised that the proposed savings were not in the budget as it had not yet been agreed by Members. 

 

RESOLVED:

1.  That the Committee recommends to Council that the Council Tax Empty Property Discount Policy as set out in Appendix 1 to the report of the Director of Mid Kent Services be approved as amended.

 

  Voting:  For: 13  Against:  0  Abstentions:  0

2.  That the Committee notes the intention to maintain protection to those properties which are uninhabitable due to natural disaster such as fire or flooding, or malicious damage.

Voting:  For:  13  Against:  0  Abstentions:  0