I AM in the same position as many who will be hit by this tax in that my “second home” is a purpose-built, one-bedroomed holiday flat on the back of Saundersfoot’s beach, smaller than some static caravans.

It could never be a home for a young family. Further, being on the beach it could never be affordable for a young family. Much less money would buy a real family house a couple of miles from the sea and a beach-side location is hardly a vital factor in one’s first home.

So, while I sympathise enormously with local youngsters in their search for a home, I and others like me are certainly not depriving them of one. We are being punished for a crime we have not committed.

This hike in council tax obviously has little to do with helping young people. I quote a local councillor “We hope that 50% of the additional revenues raised will go to help young people with housing”.

Hope? 50%? Why not “guarantee”

and “100%”?

One thing that will surely result is a drop in the numbers of holidaymakers coming to the area.

Most holiday flats are let for part of the year and provide a very significant part of the area’s tourist accommodation.

This tax will raise the cost of holidays, already expensive compared to overseas packages.

If people like us didn’t bring large numbers of visitors to Tenby and Saundersfoot by letting our flats for large parts of the year how many thriving restaurants, pubs and bars would there be?

How many local tradesmen would not get round to sending a quote for work “Because we are very busy”?

The result would be a drop in employment and less young people even thinking about staying here. This would reduce the housing problem but hardly in the way intended.

There used to be a fundamental rule about the working of a democratic government – “No taxation without representation”.

However, the council wants to raise additional funds for a variety of purposes.

The snag is that if they increase taxation people might hit back by voting against them at the next council elections.

The answer is simple – tax people who can be taxed but who can’t vote against them – can’t vote at all, in fact. Not many people fall into this category so make the most of the ones who do – us.

To be on the safe side, blacken us in the opinion of local people by saying that we are depriving young people of homes (in many cases absolutely not so) and that we are rich (in many cases absolutely not so). If this is not illegal it should be. It is certainly immoral.

One final thought – my wife and I have both been coming to Saundersfoot for over 60 years and still spend several weeks a year here. We have always loved the place and its people and we still do.

This affair, however, has made us feel angry, exploited and unwanted. That, I would suggest, is very sad but I know that we are far from being alone.

Councillors may not be aware of how much real ill feeling they are generating in people who are a fundamental part of the area’s tourism – worth a vast amount of money to Pembrokeshire at the moment.

This, of course, could change rapidly. They should be aware that it takes a long time (sometimes forever) to get back goodwill that has been thrown away.

KEN NEWMAN

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