Donations request to Holiday Lets
An increasing number of residential properties are being turned into Holiday Lets and Air Bed & Breakfasts in Newbiggin by the Sea – an online search shows approx. 70 in our town at July 2023 although accurate data has been requested from Northumberland County Council. Holidays Let’s and some Air B&B’s, like other businesses, do not pay council tax (although some may pay business rates to Northumberland County Council). Therefore the Town Council lose out of the funding we could have received had they been residential properties. The Town Council is the only authority where 100% of our funding is spent to the benefit of Newbiggin by the Sea.
The Parish Councils of Beadnell, Craster, and Warkworth on the northern coastline of the County have agreed to requesting voluntary donations from Holiday Lets and Air B&B’s to more fairly spread the burden of cost of services that are provided by them for the benefit of their residents and visitors. Beadnell have done this for 3 years now and have had quite a successful response rate. They have based the request on the average amount each residential property pays e.g.the Band D equivalent of Council Tax. Warkworth have only recently agreed to pursue this, and we do not have any information from them at present.
The Newbiggin by the Sea the Band D equivalent is £173.38 so a rounded up voluntary donation would be £175 – the average amount that residents are also paying.
If each of the Holiday Lets and Air B&B’s donated the voluntary £175 this would generate approx. £12,000 to improve services in Newbiggin for the benefit of residents and holiday makers.
It was agreed at the June meeting of the Town Council have we would write to all Holiday Let’s and Air Bed and Breakfasts requesting an annual donation that would support local facilities and services that are provided by the Town Council. We are still collating addresses and letters are due to be sent out in September as peak holiday season slows down.
In the meantime, if you own or manage a Holiday Let or Air B&B and would like to make this voluntary donation to improve the services and facilities in Newbiggin by the Sea please get in touch as this will save on postage costs in September.
Contact: ask@newbiggintowncouncil.gov.uk
