Increasing the second home council tax premium will be considered for 2022-23.

Cabinet member Cllr Bob Kilmister said that timescales had not allowed for a recommendation to be put forward on increasing the premium which is used to fund community projects and local housing for the upcoming budget.

It had however been raised as option during budget workshops with the majority of members finding it “desirable” said Cllr Kilmister.

He added that a public consultation, impact assessment and consideration by a council tax working group and cabinet before a recommendation could be made to increase the premium or not.

Cllr Kilmister was responding to a public question to full council on December 10 from Cara Wilson referring to an increase in house buyers, pushing up prices, particularly in rural and coastal areas which “is having serious adverse effect on community cohesion and resilience of those communities in Pembrokeshire.”

Many coastal communities are now seeing far fewer recruits for services such as lifeboats, care services and education services as people are unable to afford houses in coastal areas thus resulting in half-empty communities during winter months,” she adds.

Reference to other premiums in the UK was made, some that were nearly double the Pembrokeshire rate of a 50 per cent premium.