NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN BY CLLR JONATHAN HARSTON
Seconded by Cllr Paul Scriven
That this council
(a) welcomes the drop in Value Added Tax to 5% on property
refurbishment and bringing into habitable use, that was recently announced
in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's recent pre-Budget statement
welcomes measures to encourage use of brownfield sites for
development, notes that Sheffield has one of the highest proportions of
brownfield use in Yorkshire and believes that more should be done to help
urban regeneration and encourage the development of sustainable
communities.
notes that the lower rate of VAT will only apply
- (i) on the sale of renovated property that has been derelict for over
10 years
- (ii)to the refurbishment of redundant space above shops;
- (iii)to conversions to a differing numbers of dwellings.
notes that most space above shops is not redundant, but is unused and
non-maintained flat space, and that many of these flats could not be
converted to a differing number of dwellings due to their small size.
Believes that the tax system should contribute to the public good and
that as such, VAT should be levied at a lower rate on regeneration
activities.
notes that
- (i) the Local Government Assocation regards this move as a "small
but welcome attempt to solve a long standing problem" and
- (ii) the Empty Homes Agency believes that the Government should
"Harmonise VAT to 5% on the cost of works to ALL Empty property"
and resolves to join these organisations in lobbying for further changes
and is calling upon the Government to further reform the tax system
relating to all conversions and refurbishments of existing dwellings to
encourage habitable accommodation.
instructs that copies of this motion be sent to the Secretary of State
for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Chancellor of the
Exchequer and the Sheffield Members of Parliament.