A CONSULTATION on a proposal to increase the council tax premium on second homes up to 100 per cent Gwynedd Council is considering whether to use powers given by the Welsh Government to raise the second home tax, as well as long-term empty properties for the 2021 financial year. Since 2018 the council has placed a 50 per cent premium on such properties but research on managing the use of holiday homes shows that numbers continue to increase in the county. This has been linked to housing crisis in parts of the county, including housing shortages, the hollowing out of local communities and rising house prices.