Second homes and long-term unoccupied homes

The request was partially successful.

Dear Orkney Islands Council,

Please treat this email as a Freedom of Information request.

I would like the following information.

With regards to second homes:

1. How many homes in the council area are second homes?

2. Of these, how many receive a discount to their council tax? Please break these figures down by council ward.

3. Additionally, how many second home owners are subject to a reduced rate of council tax discount? Please break these figures down by council ward.

4. I understand that the council is required to spend any additional income raised by reducing the rate of council tax discount on second homes locally, or via Registered Social Landords. How much additional income was raised through reducing the council tax discount rate for second homes in the last 24 months and what was this additional income spent on?

With regards to empty homes:

5. How many homes in the council area are empty?

6. How many empty homes in the council area currently receive a council tax discount? Please break this figures down by ward.

7. Additionally, how many empty home owners are subject to a reduced rate of council tax discount, or are subject to an increase in council tax? Please break these figures down by council ward.

8. What is the total additional income raised by the council by reducing the rate of council tax discount on empty homes, or increasing it in the last 24 months? What was this additional income spent on?

I would prefer not to receive the requested information in pdf format files. I would prefer to receive it in MS Excel format files.

I look forwards to hearing from you in due course.

Yours faithfully,

Ally Tibbitt

foi, Orkney Islands Council

Dear Sir

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 – Request for Information

Thank you for your information request dated 17 March 2018 and received on 17 March 2018. Our reference is FOI 2018-0284. This is being dealt with under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

We are considering your request. We may be in touch soon to ask for further clarification or to offer advice and assistance if we are not able to fulfil your request in its present form.

The legislation allows us up to 20 working days from the date that we receive a valid request, including any clarification we need to make a final response. We will be in touch within 20 working days of receipt of your initial request to provide our response or to seek clarification where necessary. We hope to give you the information you are looking for at an earlier date if possible.

Regards

Katy Russell-Duff
Administrative Officer
Corporate Services
Orkney Islands Council, Council Offices, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY
Telephone 01856 873535 Extension 2210

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foi, Orkney Islands Council

Dear Sir

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 – Request for Information

I refer to your information request received 19 March 2018. Our reference is FOI 2018-0284.

Can you please clarify what you mean by "Council Ward"?

You have the right to request a review of the decision if you are not satisfied with the way we have handled your request. Please write to: Legal Services, Council Offices, School Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY or email to [Orkney Islands Council request email] to make this request. The law gives you up to 60 working days from when we received your enquiry or 40 working days from when you receive this correspondence, whichever is the later date. Where the outcome of the review fails to resolve the matter to your complete satisfaction you have the right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision.

Kind regards

Katy Russell-Duff
Administrative Officer
Corporate Services
Orkney Islands Council, Council Offices, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY
Telephone 01856 873535 Extension 2210

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Hi,

Thanks for getting back to me to seek clarification. By "council ward" I mean electoral ward, or, as they are described on your website "multi-member ward": http://www.orkney.gov.uk/Council/M/multi...

Yours sincerely,

Ally Tibbitt

foi, Orkney Islands Council

Dear Sir

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 – Request for Information

I refer to your email dated 17 March 2018 and received on 19 March 2018, our reference is FOI 2018-0284.

I am pleased to give the information you requested and hope that it meets your requirements.

1. How many homes in the council area are second homes? Response – there are 405 properties classified for Council Tax purposes as a ‘Second Home’. For Council Tax purposes a ‘Second Home’ is defined as - being a property that is no-one’s sole or main residence but is furnished and lived in for at least 25 days during any 12 month period). The Council Tax records are our only means of identifying properties that may be second homes.

2. Of these, how many receive a discount to their council tax? Please break these figures down by council ward. Response – there are 405 properties receive a ‘Second Home’ Council Tax discount – based on the definition as noted in Q1 to this response. We do not hold the information at Council Ward level.

3. Additionally, how many second home owners are subject to a reduced rate of council tax discount? Please break these figures down by council ward. Response – the maximum discount that can be awarded is 50% - Council policy is to reduce that discount to 10% - there are 405 ‘second homes’ as defined in the response to Q1 that receive a discount of 10%.

4. I understand that the council is required to spend any additional income raised by reducing the rate of council tax discount on second homes locally, or via Registered Social Landords. How much additional income was raised through reducing the council tax discount rate for second homes in the last 24 months and what was this additional income spent on? Response – the sum for 2017/18 will not be known or available for spending until after 31 March 2018. The sums raised for combined in the previous two years was £120,254 in 2015/16 and in £126,080 in 2016/17. The additional income has contributed towards the Council’s ongoing new build/infrastructure programme.

With regards to empty homes:

5. How many homes in the council area are empty? Response – 743 properties. These include properties that are classified for Council Tax purposes as a ‘Long-term empty’ – being a property that is no-one’s sole or main residence and is not a second home; plus properties that are considered as exempt from Council Tax as they are unoccupied. The Council Tax records are our only means of identifying properties that may be empty properties.

6. How many empty homes in the council area currently receive a council tax discount? Please break this figures down by ward. Response – there are 312 properties receive a ‘Long-term empty’ Council Tax discount – based on the definition as noted in Q5 to this response. We do not hold the information at Council Ward level.

7. Additionally, how many empty home owners are subject to a reduced rate of council tax discount, or are subject to an increase in council tax? Please break these figures down by council ward. Response – the maximum discount that can be awarded is 50% - Council policy is to reduce that discount to 10% - there are 312 ‘long-term empty’ properties as defined in the response to Q5 that receive a discount of 10%.

8. What is the total additional income raised by the council by reducing the rate of council tax discount on empty homes, or increasing it in the last 24 months? What was this additional income spent on? Response – the sum for 2017/18 will not be known or available for spending until after 31 March 2018. The sums raised for combined in the previous two years was £106,640 in 2015/16 and in £107,401 in 2016/17. The additional income has contributed towards the Council’s ongoing new build/infrastructure programme.

You have the right to request a review of the decision if you are not satisfied with the way we have handled your request. Please write to: Head of Legal Services, Council Offices, School Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY or email to [Orkney Islands Council request email] to make this request. The law gives you up to 60 working days from when we received your enquiry or 40 working days from when you receive this correspondence, whichever is the later date.

Where the outcome of the review fails to resolve the matter to your complete satisfaction you have the right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision, within six months of the date of the decision to a request for a review, or within six months from when we should have responded to your request for a review, whichever is the later date.

Regards

George Vickers
Information Governance Officer
Corporate Services
Orkney Islands Council, Council Offices, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY
Telephone: 01856 873535 Extension: 2162
www.orkney.gov.uk

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