Welcome to our coverage of the first Full Cornwall Council meeting of 2023, which is taking place at County Hall in Truro today.
It will now start at 12.30 midday due to the weather. The main item on today’s agenda is a proposal to introduce a premium for Council Tax on second homes.
Already approved by the Cabinet last month, the extra charge could be worth £25 million a year for the council, who collect the tax on more than 13,900 second homes.
Other items on the agenda include questions from the public on a range of subjects including Spaceport, and plans to end a limit on the number of taxis in Cornwall.
Live coverage of the meeting will appear below, and you can watch proceedings via the council’s webcast.
The live blog will appear below.
LIVE BLOG:
12.30 midday: Today's meeting is now underway and will begin with prayers, chair announcements, Leader announcements and public questions.
12.45 midday: Councillors pay tribute to former Cornwall Councillors David Sleeman and John Pollard who sadly passed away recently
(Pictured Cllr John Pollard)
13.00: Moving on now to the Leader's announcements
13.03: The Leader highlights events taking place this year like Armed Forces Day. She also highlights the ways the public can get involved in giving their views about Cornwall's devolution deal
13.05: The Chairman gives time now to hear public questions
13.12: Questions from the public today are dominated by a potential decision to lift the cap on the number of Hackney Carriage taxis allowed in Cornwall Council
13.28: The next item on the agenda is council tax premiums on second homes and empty properties
13.30: The proposed implementation of a premium on second homes follows changes to the current billing process which were announced in the Government’s Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill in May.
If the legislation is approved by Parliament before 1 April this year a 100% Council Tax premium for second homes could introduced from April 2024.
According to the Council Tax database, there are 13,292 second homes registered in Cornwall, which is widely recognised as impacting negatively on the local housing market.
It could be worth £25 million a year to the council if it is implemented
13.38: Cllr Tim Dwelly proposes an amendment which is now being debated amongst Councillors
14.01: Members are now voting on the proposed amendment which has been lost
14.02: Councillors will now discuss the original proposal
14.13: Cllr Julian German proposes an amendment which is now debated by Councillors
14.16: Cllr Harris accepts the amendment
14.18: Councillors are now voting on the proposal which is carried
14.20: Next on the agenda is Review of Council Procedure Rules
14.23: An amendment is proposed to this item by Cllr Leigh Frost
14.24: The Chairman rules that the amendment is not allowed
14.35: Cllr Colin Martin proposes an amendment
14.47: Councillors now vote on whether the item is returned to the committee which is lost
14.48: The original item will now be debated
14.52: Each item on the proposal will now be voted on
14.53: The first item is carried
14.54: The second item is carried
14.55: The third item is carried
14.56: The fourth item is carried
15.04: Meeting is adjourned for ten minutes
15.16: The meeting has now resumed
15.18: Voting now on item 5 to send back to the committee which is carried
15.19: Recommendations 6-9 are carried
15.20: Licensing of hackney carriages is now the next item
15.26: An amendment of this item is now being debated
15.49: Councillors will now vote on the amendment which is lost
15.50: Speakers will now discuss the substantive proposal
16.12: Councillors will now vote on the proposal which has been carried
16.13: Moving on to the Cumulative Impact Assessment Policy Review
16.15: This proposal has now been carried
16.17: Moving on to the next item now on the Gambling Act 2005 - Revised statement of principles - this has been voted on and carried
16.17: The meeting has now concluded
