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28
Nov
Mayor tourist tax should go to ballot box, says Tory deputy leader
The Conservative deputy leader of North Yorkshire Council has suggested a mayoral tourist tax should be put to a vote.
Labour’s Rachel Reeves revealed in Wednesday's Budget that mayors would be given the power to impose the levy on overnight stays in their towns and cities.
David Skaith, the Labour Mayor of York and North Yorkshire who lobbied the Chancellor in-person for the power, welcomed the move as a “gamechanger”.
But he clashed with a senior Tory councillor over the issue this morning.
Cllr Gareth Dadd, the Conservative finance chief and deputy leader of North Yorkshire Council, told a meeting of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority that the power for the mayor to impose the tax should go to the ballot box.
He added that there was still a “lack of clarity” over the policy, including how the levy would be collected, which accommodation would be affected and how it would be enforced.
Cllr Dadd said:
I’m sat on the fence on this. I haven’t come to a view on it because we need more detail.
I will say this: it will be a tax on tourism. We can spin it all we want, it is another levy. I would feel a lot more comfortable with it going through a ballot box.
Mayor David Skaith
Mr Skaith defended the policy and said the announcement on Wednesday was the “first step” towards a tourist tax. He added that the combined authority was already seeking clarification on the policy.
He said the move towards a levy on tourists had the potential to bring in £50 million to the region to help communities cope with increased tourism.
Mr Skaith said:
I’m seeing it as a real positive. I understand there are concerns out there because we don’t have those answers yet. But that’s the phase we are working in.
The Labour mayor added he was spending the next few weeks meeting with hospitality associations to “reassure them of this process”.
Questions over Harrogate accommodation BID
The introduction of a mayoral tourist tax has raised questions over how the policy would work alongside plans for an accommodation BID in Harrogate.
The Stray Ferret revealed this month that an Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID) could be established in the town, which would aim to support the visitor economy by having the power to levy a £2 per room, per night visitor levy on hotels.
The proposals were devised by Harrogate Business Improvement District and Harrogate Hospitality & Tourism Association and submitted to North Yorkshire Council.
A ballot is due to be held on January 27 to decide whether or not to set up the body.
However, the Chancellor's decision to give mayors the power to impose a tourist tax has raised questions over how an accommodation BID levy would work alongside another tourism levy.
A spokesperson for Harrogate BID, Harrogate Hospitality & Tourism Association and Harrogate ABID Steering Group told the Stray Ferret it was unclear at this stage how the mayor’s visitor levy would affect the ABID plan, but a ballot would continue to be pursued for the New Year.
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