MIKE HEDGES AM WELCOMES DEVOLUTION OF TAX POWERS AND WELCOMES PLANS FOR A VACANT LAND LEVY.

Following a statement on Devolved tax powers, Swansea East AM, Mike Hedges said that he would welcome a Vacant Land Tax, similar to the one which is already operating in the Republic of Ireland. He asked questions to the Cabinet Member for Finance, Mark Drakeford concerning the ability of a Vacant Land Levy to stop developers hoarding land in order to prevent other Developers from using that land.

After the Statement, Mike Hedges said…….. ‘I greatly welcome the news that a Vacant Land Levy is to be the first tax to test the Wales Act mechanism for introducing new taxes in Wales. There is a desperate need for land to be made available for development, both commercial and residential. It is wrong that landowners can effectively hold planning authorities to ransom over this land; this levy will act as an incentive on land owners to use or free up for others to use the land they own.’