The letter below was sent out before Christmas to all of the Holiday Lets within Bamburgh Parish Council and we would like to take this opportunity to thank those owners who have very kindly contributed it is very much appreciated.
Dear Bamburgh Lover/Property Owner,
As you may be aware, home owner residents in Bamburgh pay council tax, which includes the precept paid to Bamburgh Parish Council. This is the only source of the parish council’s income. In Bamburgh, this money goes towards funding the Parish Clerk, our village warden to keep the village clean and tidy, upkeep of our children’s playground, grass cutting, Christmas lights, maintenance of the war memorial, and general maintenance of the village, including insurance. Capital items are also purchased such as benches and lights on the green.
In the U.K. we currently have a tax loophole that allows owners of holiday lets to have 100% business relief available on properties with a rateable value of £12,000 or less.
In Bamburgh we are now in the position that a significant number of properties are now being used as holiday lets. Many of these are now registered as commercial properties paying business rates. As you can see, this has a financial implication for the Parish council and we now find ourselves with significantly less income than we did several years ago. This is a national problem within the U.K. with similar problems being reported in Cornwall, Suffolk and the Lake District.
Bamburgh is a special place which we all hold very close to our hearts. We, the parish council, are charged with the responsibility of helping to maintain this beautiful village. To this end we are asking all holiday let property owners if they would like to make an annual voluntary contribution of £25 per year. (Please see payment details overleaf).
Any queries please contact our parish clerk :
Dorothy Scott - Email address: bamburghpc@gmail.com
Many thanks for considering this contribution which will help significantly with parish funding.
Kind regards,
Bamburgh Parish Council