Madam,

In your letters section of 14 April you were kind enough to publish details of a letter I sent to Ceredigion County Council in which I questioned the logic of the forthcoming imposition of a “punishment” tax on second home owners.

Despite the fact that my council tax helps pay their salaries and expenses they have not afforded me the courtesy of even an acknowledgement let alone a response.

Fearing that this is the thin end of the wedge my holiday home has now been put on the market.

Surely if you want to improve the prosperity of an area you should encourage people to come, invest, spend money and provide jobs. You should not let people commit and then beat them with a stick.

If, as I suspect, others like me decide to bail out, the probable outcome is that property prices will fall which may be the councils intention. However this will have a negative impact on all properties including those owned by “permanent” residents.

Will this improve the housing situation in west Wales and help those struggling to get on the housing ladder? No it will not.

Let us assume that I decide to sell my Welsh property to a local person for a 25 per cent discount below its market value. The purchaser would get a short-term windfall (until the market re-adjusts) but they would still have to pay their mortgage, utility bills, council tax (hopefully) and living expenses. What I can’t do is provide a job and income so the chances are they still could not afford to buy nor would they necessarily wish to live seven miles from any amenities.

This policy is so short-sighted. Finally may I address the sentiment contained in the letter from “heartbroken” Rhian Skalka. For the record I do a minimum of one day per week voluntary work at a charity (in England). My wife and I support a number of charities on a regular basis and several of those are located in Wales. Moreover, if I were to die tomorrow those Welsh charities would all benefit under the terms of my will. The largest beneficiary would be The Welsh Air Ambulance who are set to get a bequest worth around 30 per cent of the value of my holiday home. Why the Air ambulance? No I have never been helped or rescued by them. Quite simply on one of my many visits I watched a documentary on BBC Wales on the excellent work they do.

Once our ties with Wales are severed these bequests may be in jeopardy. This is not a threat or sour grapes, simply a reflection that our lives will change and we will move on to other things and places.

In conclusion I would say this. Those who share the sentiments of Rhian please don’t rush to judge people without being in possession of the facts. To our worthy councillors, be careful what you wish for. In my humble opinion you are in danger of slowly strangling the goose that lays the golden egg.

Yours etc

Steve Broadbent

Old Windsor