Letter: GBC Is No Longer Compensated for Student Council Tax Exemption

Published on: 1 Nov, 2018
Updated on: 1 Nov, 2018

From Bernard Parke

hon alderman and former Mayor of Guildford

Perhaps we should spend a little time to reflect on GBC policy on student housing in the light of the £81 million pound loan which is no longer on our council’s agenda.

Also perhaps, we should query why this was even considered when housing is so desperately needed for our permanent residents.

We have already been told that council tax will again rise next year. This tax falls heavily on those amongst of us who are on fixed incomes or rely on state pensions. It is worth mentioning that council tax payments now account for quite a large proportion of the state pension alone.

The number of properties from which council tax revenue can be obtained is reducing as more and more of our housing stock is dedicated to student lets. Although enjoying local services these lets are not subject to paying any council tax at all.

The council used to receive compensation through the government funding grants but these have now dried up.

I have recently been told that there are now well over fifteen hundred properties in Guildford alone which now fall into this bracket, and this number seems to be on the increase.

One concerned resident has estimated that the loss of these tax receipts could well be over £3 million here in Guildford alone.

We all appreciate that our student guests are under financial pressure, but so are many permanent residents such as those struggling to pay rents and mortgages. Surely the time has now come for central government to revisit the injustices that the retrograde council tax places on our people.

Share This Post