Second homes and long-term unoccupied homes

The request was partially successful.

Dear Dumfries and Galloway 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 Landlords. 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

Dumfries and Galloway Council

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002

Thank you for your request for information which was received on 08/05/2018 which we are dealing with in terms of the above legislation. We have given your request the unique reference 333725 and we would appreciate it if you could quote this on all correspondence to us.

Under the terms of the legislation, we have an obligation to respond to your request within 20 working days from the day after your request was received. We will therefore aim to respond to your request by 05/06/2018.

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If you have any queries in the meantime, please contact [email address].

Kind Regards

FOI Unit
Dumfries and Galloway Council

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Dumfries and Galloway Council

Please find below the Council's response to your request 333725 which was received on 08/05/2018.

Details of request: 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 Landlords. 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.

Response:

The information below is for questions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7:

We are sorry but in accordance with Section 17(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 Dumfries and Galloway Council does not hold a breakdown of the information requested by current Council ward. We are able to provide a summary of the information for the 4 administrative areas of the Council and this is indicated along with overall totals.

Annandale and Eskdale Area
Second homes with discount = 8
Second homes reduced discount (0%) = 257
Empty homes no discount or tariff = 101
Empty homes with reduction or tariff = 1051

Nithsdale Area
Second homes with discount = 22
Second homes reduced discount (0%) = 254
Empty homes no discount or tariff = 140
Empty homes with reduction or tariff = 1252

Stewartry Area
Second homes with discount = 41
Second homes reduced discount (0%) = 506
Empty homes no discount or tariff = 72
Empty homes with reduction or tariff = 514

Wigtownshire Area
Second homes with discount = 22
Second homes reduced discount (0%) = 352
Empty homes no discount or tariff 77
Empty homes with reduction or tariff = 531

Overall totals
Second homes with discount = 93
Second homes reduced discount (0%) = 1369
Empty homes no discount or tariff = 390
Empty homes with reduction or tariff = 3348

In respect of questions 4 and 8:

For 2016/17 and 2017/18 income for RSL ring fence = (£1,007,616.99 + £1,299,053.84) £2,306,670.83. This figure is a combined figure for second and empty homes. Our reporting systems do not cater for splitting this value when a mixture of empty/second status has been applied in the same financial year and therefore we are unable to split accurately between the 2 categories. We do not hold details of what the income was spent on other than previously published budget information available via reports to Full Council on the Council website.

http://egenda.dumgal.gov.uk/aksdumgal/us...

As such and in accordance with Section 17(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, Dumfries and Galloway Council does not hold the information.

However, please find below links to 2 Committee reports that describe how Council Tax Second homes income was allocated for 2016/17 and 2017/18.

Housing Sub Committee - January 2016 - Item 4
http://egenda.dumgal.gov.uk/aksdumgal/us...

Housing Sub Committee - March 2017 - Item 4
http://egenda.dumgal.gov.uk/aksdumgal/us...

Please be aware that the Council holds the copyright, where applicable, for the information provided and it may be reproduced free of charge in any format or media without requiring specific permission. This is subject to the material not being used in a misleading context. The source of the material must be acknowledged as Dumfries and Galloway Council and the title of the document must be included when being reproduced as part of another publication or service.

If you require any further clarification, please contact us. However, if you are not satisfied with the way in which your request has been dealt with, you can request us to carry out an internal review of the decision by emailing [email address] or writing to us within 40 working days of receiving this response.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the review, you have the right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision. Appeals to the Commissioner can be made online at www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal or in writing to: The Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS.

Kind Regards

FOI Unit
Dumfries and Galloway Council

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Any email message sent or received by the
Council may require to be disclosed by the
Council under the provisions of the Freedom
of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.