Dear Sir / Madam,

I am writing to you to highlight a discussion forum that you may be
interested in contributing to in either a professional or personal capacity.

The Highland Council has launched an on-line forum to debate - "Second Home
Council Tax Levy". We launch this forum because we wish to consult and hear
the views of all stakeholders, politicians, members of the public,
communities and second home owners. We wish to assemble a representative
body of opinion to present to ministers and civil servants when we make
future representations to the Scottish Executive.

The Council wants the Scottish Parliament to allow each of the 32 councils
in Scotland the right to retain the additional income, without loss of
Government grant, for local spending on essential council services. In
Highland, the potential gain is more than £3 million. Second homeowners
presently qualify for a 50% Council Tax rebate, in Highland; we have more
than 6,000 properties receiving this discount.

The Council have expressed clear and consistent views on this issue and we
believe the time is right, with the movement in England, for the Scottish
Executive to drive through new legislation. We want the additional income
to be ploughed back into local essential services. Vital services such as
teaching our children, caring for the elderly, repairing our roads and
improving our stock of affordable houses to help us sustain our fragile
rural communities in which many these second homes are located.

To join the debate please go to http://www.highland.gov.uk/ and enter the
Second Home Council Tax Levy debate.

This is your opportunity to give us your views; we look forward to reading
them!

Regards

John

John R Gray

CEX's, The Highland Council, Glenurquhart Rd
INVERNESS, IV3 5NX, SCOTLAND, EU

E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Tel No: 01463 702706, Fax No: 01463 702830

www.highland.gov.uk
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