A MOTION relating to Cumberland Council's Empty Homes Policy will be proposed next week.

Councillors Trevor Allison (Dalston and Burgh, Conservative) and Andy Pratt (Millom Without, Conservative) will put forward the matter at a meeting of the full council at the Civic Centre in Carlisle on Tuesday (November 5).

The motion gave a number of examples of individuals who were made to pay extra council tax on empty properties in contrast with an example of a large period house and grounds, which had been empty for years and has fallen into a state of disrepair, but there was no liability for council tax as it was "deleted by the Valuation Office Agency".

According to the motion to the council, the Empty Homes Policy aims to target landlords and developers who choose, for commercial reasons, to leave properties empty.

It adds: "But under the Law of Unintended Consequences it is capturing ordinary people trying to get on the housing ladder.

"Clearly the present execution of the Empty Home Policy provides no flexibility to consider individual cases such as I have described.

"Ordinary people of limited means are being included alongside the professional landlords and developers.

"This motion asks council to allow officers operating the EHP the flexibility to consider each case on its merits having regard to the circumstances of the applicant, including a clause in the EHP that provides first time buyers up to a year’s concession on council tax on the property they are bringing back into use, regardless of its previous liability for council tax."

Tuesday's public meeting is due to begin at 1pm.