Editor

I understand that approximately 6,000 people responded to Gwynedd Council’s public consultation on second homes, and 55.1 per cent (3,300) of respondents agreed that “second home owners brought positive benefits to the local community”, and presumably 44.9 per cent(2,700) did not agree with this statement.

There are approximately 100,000 residents of Gwynedd aged 16and over who can vote in local elections. Therefore about 94,000 (94 per cent) of these residents did not respond to the public consultation and therefore can be assumed neutral or disinterested in the subject of second homes.

I now hear that the council Cabinet has decided, presumably based on the data from this public consultation survey - which was Gwynedd taxpayer-funded - to recommend that the council tax premium on second homes be raised to 100 per cent from 50 per cent.

So, it would seem that the 2.7 per cent (2,700 out of 100,000) of the population of the county that support the raising of the council tax premium on second homes somehow gives the council leaders the mandate to continue their persecution of second home owners. There’s democracy for you!

John Rees Moss Bala

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