Local MP spearheads petition demanding end to second home tax loophole
Norman Lamb MP is asking Norfolk residents to sign a petition calling for an end to a tax loophole that allows second home owners to pay no council tax
This comes after new figures revealed that the tax loophole is costing North Norfolk District Council a staggering £1.8 million this year alone. Mr Lamb is calling on the Chancellor to end the tax loophole in the Autumn Budget, expected to be announced at the end of October.
In England, any property that is “available to let” for 140 days or more per year can be registered as a holiday business. Holiday homes with a rateable value of less than £12,000 are eligible to receive 100% small business rate relief, meaning that the owners do not have to pay any tax on the property.
North Norfolk District Council revealed that 1,302 second-home holiday lets are claiming 100% small business rate relief in 2018-19 – at a cost of £1,873,998. The figures were disclosed following a freedom of information request from Mr Lamb.
While many of these properties will be genuine holiday homes, the ease of registering a property as a holiday home and claiming full business rate relief leaves the system open to abuse by second-home owners who are seeking to avoid paying council tax.
Mr Lamb said “I think this in an outrageous tax loophole. It is far too easy for second-home owners to bend the rules under the current system. This is particularly galling in a low-wage economy like North Norfolk, where it is critically important that everyone is making a fair contribution. We cannot afford a system that is open to abuse in this way, which is why these rules need reform as a matter of urgency. If you agree, sign the petition demanding that the Chancellor ends this tax loophole in the Budget this autumn.”
Is your pet scared of Fireworks?
Book a FREE Nurse Clinic to discuss how we can help.
Independent Family Run Practice Accredited Gold Standard Rabbit & Gold Standard Cat Friendly Practice On site Luxury Cat Boarding Hotel Dedicated Dog and Exotic Waiting areas and Wards On site C T Scanner ~ Laser Therapy Digital X-ray, Ultrasound, Endoscopy, Tonometry, ECG and an In-House Lab Very Important Pet (VIP) Clubs ~ Large Private Car Park Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine 24/7 ON SITE EMERGENCY CARE FOR OUR CLIENTS
01692 407126
Heath Road, North Walsham NR28 0JB
practice@tollbarnvets.co.uk www.tollbarnvets.co.uk 6
Potty Record
On the 7th July the Potty Festival attempted, with the help of thirty-two of the sides attending our weekend of dance, to break the Guinness World Record of 144 dancers all doing the same dance at the same time, set by Stone the Crows in 2012.
After a great deal of organising over several months with form filling in sent from Guinness, and help from our Carnival Committee, came the day and we went for the record. We had 369 dancers all corralled in an arena on the High Street of Sheringham, with video cameras at both ends and Clive our chairman calling the dance. So off they went, dancing Tinner’s Rabbit with the music provided by the musicians of Wicket Brood. The end came just over Tony Chadwick, with the official an exhausting 7 minutes later, and it Guinness certificate. all went as planned. courtesy christaylorphoto.co.uk All we had to do now was send everything (videos and paperwork) off to Guinness for confirmation of the record.
Finally after several long weeks of waiting for news, it arrived on the 17th of September, WE HAD DONE IT !! The Potty Festival is now the holder of the Guinness World Record for the Largest number of Morris Dancers all dancing the same dance at the same time. (Largest Morris Dance).
So it’s a very big “Thank You”, to all the Dancers and Musicians, all our helpers and the Carnival volunteers, without you all we could not have done it.
Firework Fears!
We all know how stressful the firework season can be for our pets so here at Toll Barn Vets we have a few helpful tips to help keep pets as calm as possible. Animals have very sensitive hearing and loud bangs can be painful whilst the flashing lights can be scary. Always keep dogs and cats indoors during fireworks and make sure dogs are walked earlier in the day to avoid being out when fireworks are let off. Many pets go missing at this time of year when they get scared by fireworks so make sure all pets are easily identified with a collar and tag or microchip (with up to date contact details) so that they can be reunited with you if they get scared and manage to run off.
It can help to build your pet a safe den and keep windows, doors and curtains closed to minimise noise as much as possible. Some pets will find it comforting to have an alternative noise so keeping the radio or television on can help to reduce awareness of the sound of fireworks. Pets will often look to you for reassurance during stressful situations so try to act as normally as possible and make sure not to tell pets off if they are behaving in a stressed manner during fireworks. It is also important to reward calm and relaxed behaviour with cuddles and treats! There are also several medicines and techniques which can be used to reduce anxiety around firework season. Pheromone-based and natural calming products come in several varieties including plug-in diffusers, tablets, liquids, collars and sprays. These products can help pets feel more relaxed and calm within the environment and should ideally be started at least 48 hours (preferably longer) before fireworks are due to start. Noise phobia CDs are also available and are designed to gradually reduce sensitivity to loud sounds over a long period of time in the run up to Firework Night.
It’s also important to remember small mammals such as rabbits and guinea pigs as well as birds during this stressful season. These pets can also get easily scared and if possible these pets should be moved into a quiet room or shed. If this is not possible cages should be covered to reduce the sound of the fireworks and turned to face a wall so the firework lights are less visible. It is essential to ensure enough ventilation still remains underneath the cover. Make sure pets have enough bedding to burrow and hide in should they feel stressed.
As November creeps up its time to start thinking about Firework season and what we can do to help our pets. We offer FREE OF CHARGE firework advice for our clients as well as stocking a variety of calming products. Pop in or call us on 01692 407126 for advice from our friendly team.
Sheringham Independent 498
October 27th 2018