A Reform UK-led council plans to double council tax on second homes – despite party leader Nigel Farage having branded the idea ‘madness’ and ‘extortion’.
North Northamptonshire Council is considering proposals to introduce a 100 per cent premium on second homes from April 2027.
The local authority is one of a string of councils won by Reform at May’s local elections, as Mr Farage’s party made a major breakthrough.
Since April this year, local authorities in England have been able to charge a council tax premium of up to 100 per cent on second homes, which effectively doubles bills.
A large number of cash-strapped councils across the country immediately introduced the extra charge, with North Northamptonshire now mulling whether to follow suit.
If the Reform-led authority does hit second homeowners it would put it at odds with the party’s national policy, which opposes second home council tax premiums.
Earlier this year, Mr Farage attacked the change in legislation that allowed councils to charge a second home premium.
‘Owning property used to be a right and a freedom,’ he said. ‘Today it is an excuse for the Government to use extortion.’
A Reform UK-led council plans to double council tax on second homes – despite party leader Nigel Farage having branded the idea ‘madness’ and ‘extortion’
North Northamptonshire Council is considering proposals to introduce a 100 per cent premium on second homes from April 2027
In further comments, the Reform leader added: ‘The whole thing is madness.
‘Whatever the downsides of increased house prices, these people bring a lot of money into these areas.’
Mr Farage also said he would hold talks about extra council tax charges with Reform councillors in Durham and West Northamptonshire.
These were two local authorities that had already introduced a second home premium in April, before they were won by Reform in May.
A report published by North Northamptonshire Council stated there are 511 dwellings in the local authority that have been determined as second homes.
It was estimated that introducing a second home council tax premium would raise an extra £804,000 a year for the council.
The council is also considering plans to introduce a premium for properties that have been empty for one year.
North Northamptonshire currently charges a premium for properties that have been empty for two years.
The report said the planned changes would ‘encourage owners to bring properties back into use more quickly to address housing shortages’.
A Reform spokesperson said: ‘The Reform UK administration in North Northamptonshire Council is working hard to deliver a balanced budget and address the almost 7,000 property shortfall in homes that they inherited after decades of local and national Conservative mismanagement.
‘Whilst at a national level we oppose second home council tax premiums, we accept that local authorities have far fewer levers at their disposal than a national government when it comes to addressing urgent housing shortages.’