Council tax in Pembrokeshire must be increased – including on long-term empty properties – and the subsidy for second home owners scrapped, says UNISON.

The union’s written response to Pembrokeshire County Council’s 2025/26 budget consultation says these measures are needed to protect public services and jobs.

UNISON - one of the UK's largest trade unions, with 1.3 million members, that represents staff who provide public services in the public and private sector, is also calling for the local authority to get a 5% funding increase from the Welsh Government.

The council has stated in its budget consultation that it’s facing a £34.1m funding gap that could increase further unless savings are made.

UNISON, which represents nearly 2,000 council workers in the county, has written to MPs, Senedd members and councillors to demand a rethink of the council's budget plans.

Earlier this year, Pembrokeshire said second home owners would have to pay a premium of 200%, treble the standard amount of council tax.

However, this levy was reduced to 150% in October, a move described by the union as ‘deeply disappointing’. UNISON’s consultation is calling for the amount to be restored to the original 200%.

UNISON says it ‘beggars belief’ that council services and a redundancy scheme for staff are being cut to subsidise second home owners.

A higher levy would encourage people to rent or sell properties across the county, and reduce cutbacks to public services, it adds.

The union also states in its written response that the reduction in the second home council tax premium amounts to £1.2m.

This total equates to the closure of 60% of libraries and day centres that support the most vulnerable people in Pembrokeshire, according to the council’s own data.

Record low council tax rates in Pembrokeshire are to blame for budget gaps that have affected public services and staff recruitment and retention, says UNISON. In its consultation, the union is calling for council tax to be increased by a ‘substantial and sustainable’ rate.

UNISON Pembrokeshire branch secretary Jonathan Lewis said: “It’s deplorable that councillors have put second home owners before looking after the young and old in its communities.

“Taxpayers in Pembrokeshire shouldn’t have to shoulder an increased council tax burden to protect out-of-county homeowners.”

Branch chair Manuela Hughes said: “Job cuts should be a last resort. If posts go then services for the public will inevitably suffer.

“Council staff are working hard to deliver critical services to communities across Pembrokeshire. Both they and local residents deserve far better.”

The county council is currently carrying out a public consultion on cuts to services and will then set a budget on February 20, 2025.

At a meeting of PCC recently, Cllr Tony Wilcox said that any reduction in the rate for second-home-owners would impact on ordinary council tax-payers in the county.

“Why are we penalising 85-95 per cent of our own people to pander for a political point? The overwhelming majority of our residents aren’t affected by this, we are going to penalise the majority,” he stated.