THE owners of chalets at Dunster Beach have renewed calls to be given a 40 per cent discount on their Council Tax bills. Members of West Somerset District Council will again be asked to consider cutting the cost of the chalet owners' bills when they meet on Wednesday. They will be told the authority can introduce a local discount scheme in certain cases, although the council would have to bear the cost of any reduction. In the case of the Dunster Beach chalets, the annual cost would be £67,000. Last year, Dunster Beach Holidays Ltd, acting on behalf of the chalet owners, unsuccessfully asked for a reduction in bills when the district council decided to axe the Council Tax discount payable on second homes from 50 per cent to just ten per cent. The chalet owners had disputed claims their wooden huts could be classed as second homes as they were not permanent, year-round dwellings and had limited services. But only last November, one owner unsuccessfully attempted to have their chalet reclassed by the Valuation Office, which again stipulated that the chalets were classified as dwellings under Government rules and regulations. However, the inspector did have "considerable sympathy" for the appellants but said he had to act within existing legislation. On Wednesday, councillors will also be asked to consider a separate Council Tax reduction application from the owners of a wooden building, St Olaf's Chalet, in Winsford. Members will be told a 40 per cent reduction in that case would set the authority back £319 a year. The Kent-based owners claim they should pay less Council Tax as St Olaf's Chalet has no electricity, no water supply, no mains gas, telephone or rubbish collection, and access is via a private pedestrian right-of-way. Councillors will also be asked to formulate a new procedure to enable the authority to deal with similar future applications "as quickly as possible". They will be asked to consider delegating authority for the review of other cases to officers, working in conjunction with the leader of the council and revenue portfolio holder.
