Sir,

Pembrokeshire County Council are intending to increase the cost of at least 40 services within the county.

It was only in April that PCC increased the Council Tax by five per cent, the biggest increase in Wales, and now they are proposing to increase these services by four, 10 or 15 per cent.

Usual problem ‘rob the poorest to make the rich, richer’.

The way to raise the revenue is to tax ‘second home’ owners who currently pay no Business Tax under the nil band government concession scheme, if their properties are under £7,500 Rateable Value and let them for at least 11 weeks per year they are exempt. On a D band property that is £1,150 per annum, a lot of money to ‘our down at the heel council’.

The number of properties involved must be hundreds, if not into thousands. They are classed as a benefit to the tourist industry within the county, but at what cost.

Every property owner in the county should pay for the services provided, maybe a 50 per cent concession on the Business Rates would be more appropriate to these ‘second home’ owners, and fair to all taxpayers in the county.

A number of county councillors and town councillors representing the people of PCC own these ‘second homes’ and will not talk to us on the issue because they maintain they have a ‘conflict of interest’.

I hope common sense prevails and a more appropriate way of raising the revenue is found to the benefit of all PCC residents and not just the few.

Name and

address supplied