OWNERS of long-term empty homes in Newport could pay up to 200 per cent in council tax under new proposals by the city council.

The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 empowers councils to introduce discretionary council tax premiums for certain long-term empty dwellings. owners of vacant dwellings can currently receive a 50 per cent discount in council tax but under new laws councils can dis-apply this.

Newport council is looking to discontinue the 50 per cent discount for long-term empty dwellings and also charge a premium of 100 per cent after a dwelling has been unoccupied for two years, and is substantially unfurnished.

In a report, which went before the cabinet today, the council estimate these proposals will affect 470 dwellings in the city. They estimate this will raise an additional £265,178 in council tax from the cancellation of the 50 per cent discount and an additional £530,357 will be raised by applying the 100 per cent premium.

Under the proposals, those with long-term empty dwellings at band D for 2016/17 would have to pay a total of £2,389.34 a year- an increase of £1,792.

Councillors at the meeting approved the recommendation that proposals should go out to a public consultation. The report states the first time the premiums may take effect is April 1, 2017.

Leader of the council councillor Debbie Wilcox called the proposals 'socially responsible'.

"We cannot sit back and allow landlords to leave homes empty when people could be living in them," she added.

The discretionary council tax premiums aim to assist with bringing empty homes back into use and increase the supply of affordable housing. The report states the current local housing market assessment, updated in 2015, finds that each year Newport is likely to have a shortfall of around 900 affordable homes.

Figures from May this year show in Newport there were 66,134 dwellings on the council tax valuation list of which 2,516 (3.8 per cent) were recorded as vacant. Of this figure 755 dwellings had been vacant for more than twelve months.

Cllr Ray Truman, deputy leader of the local authority, said: "It's common sense. You've got to feel for the people living next to these properties for many years. It is a blight on their property.

"This is a big help - it makes sense."

The results of the public consultation will be reported back to the cabinet before they make a recommendation to full council.