SECOND home owners in Northumberland could soon face a huge hike in their council tax if planned Government legislation comes into force.

The Levelling Up bill, which is currently awaiting royal assent, would allow councils to charge up to double the amount of council tax on second homes and empty properties.

Second homes are seen as a considerable issue in some parts of Northumberland, particularly in the national park and on the coast – and now the county council has pledged to act.

Speaking at the council’s cabinet meeting on Monday, deputy leader Cllr Richard Wearmouth confirmed the council would look to put the new measures in place as soon as next April. Cllr Wearmouth stressed that the move would be dependent on the Government legislation sucessfully passing through parliament.

READ MORE: Northumberland couple launch campaign to help families 'argue better'

He said: “We will approve, subject to the levelling up bill, the implementation of a 100 per cent empty homes premium after April 1 2024, and via the same bill implement a 100 per cent premium for second homes in the county.

“This will take tax council tax on those properties to 200 per cent from April 2024. It won’t affect properties for this year.”

Speaking at the cabinet meeting, council leader Glen Sanderson said: “We’re deeply aware and very grateful to all those people who came up during the last two pandemic years who liked Northumberland so much that they spent their hard-earned money on buying second homes, which is great.

“But, the outcome in many places has been that it has meant less housing is available for local people. So we’re not only allocating significant amounts of money in our capital programme to a new house building programme, but we feel that this might bring extra funding into it, and ensure more local people can live locally.

“There’s a balance and should this become law, it’s something we would like to take up.”