50% off council tax for South Lakes flood victims
Last updated at 13:45, Thursday, 07 January 2010
RESIDENTS in South Lakeland who have been living in flood-damaged properties since the November floods have been granted a 50 per cent council tax reduction.
The cabinet of leading councillors on South Lakeland District Council yesterday sanctioned the half-price deal for householders whose ground floors have been unfit to live in due to water damage.
A number of flood victims have remained in their own homes by living upstairs until renovations to the ground floor can be finished.
Existing governmentlegislation only exempts householders from paying council tax if the property is completely uninhabitable and unoccupied.
SLDC has already awarded exemptions to people in this type of situation.
But the authority has decided that people who cannot live downstairs in their own home should be entitled to some relief.
Simon McVey, SLDC assistant director for customer focus, said: “The council has created a special locally-defined discount for occupied properties affected by the flooding.
“As people are really only occupying half their house the council would like to offer a 50 per cent discount on their council tax.
“It does not seem very fair that people are having to pay full council tax when, through no fault of their own, they can only live in part of their property.”
The special discount will continue to apply until the date that the ground floor of the property becomes habitable, or until March 31 next year – whichever is the earliest.
The cost to SLDC is estimated to be a maximum of £10,000, but this will depend on the number of households that qualify, and the duration of the relief.
A mother, who did not wish to be named, but who has been living upstairs in her home in North Lonsdale Road, Ulverston, with her young family since November, said the discount was a nice gesture.
She said: “It is appreciated, everything is appreciated. The savings will come in very handy. Every little helps.”
Asked if the big freeze had made living conditions more uncomfortable, she said: “We are still in the middle of drying-out. We have just got the heating on full blast, and there is the dehumidifier downstairs that gives a bit of heat off.”
First published at 13:00, Thursday, 07 January 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
Have your say
Well done Lib Dem SLDC, but voting Lib Dem in Barrow would paradoxically weaken the LDs by enabling the Tories to take a seat likely to give them a Commons majority. LD voters should support Labour in Barrow to block them. Conversely, in Northallerton it is Labour who are likely to have a Commons majority if they win there and so LDs there should vote Tory to stop it.
Posted by Hugh on 7 January 2010 at 14:22