PEOPLE with empty properties or a second home in Pendle could face paying between £350 to £1,000 more council tax if the council is allowed to scrap its 50 per cent reduction.

Pendle Council has supported government proposals which would allow local authorities to decide whether they want to remove the council tax reduction on long-term empty properties and furnished second homes.

The Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) is currently carrying out consultations into the matter.

If the proposals go-ahead, the owners of a second home or empty house in Pendle could see their bill rise from around £350 to £700 for a Band A property -- which is the lowest rate -- or could see a £1,000 bill on a Band H property doubled.

At a meeting of Pendle's Executive, councillors agreed that billing authorities should be given the general discretion to remove empty property discounts, be allowed to use additional income for local purposes including housing, determine local categories for granting discount and grant hardship discount on a case by case basis.

They will inform the DTLR that where a property is being used for business or investment purposes by a landlord they believe that no empty property discount should apply. The government has said that a high demand for second home ownership can increase the price of properties and deny homes to those in housing need and unoccupied houses and can lead to a reduction in the use of local services such as the local bus service or village shop.

Financial manager (revenues)for Pendle, Derek Thomas, said: "We are in favour of councils having the freedom to drop the discount. If this becomes law, which it looks as if it will, we will then do a detailed study of the position in Pendle and recommend whether this council itself adapts to the changes on charging for empty properties. I will look to the housing officers for their views on the impact it would have whether good or bad.

"If there is a higher charge on empty property hopefully people will not leave them standing empty for as long."

In a report to the executive, Mr Thomas said that in Pendle the second home issue was not generally considered a problem as there are probably less than 100 second homes in the area.

But there are more than 1,800 houses being granted an empty discount of 50 per cent and the recovery rate from these properties is lower than average.