Highland Council issues visitor levy ‘update’ as December D-Day looms amid mounting pressure from critics who say now is the right time to pause scheme
The clock is ticking as a December decision looms for Highland Council on its controversial visitor levy proposal – will it either postpone or agree to the implementation of the charge?
The scheme was initially popular among those worried about the impact of mass tourism on the fragile Highland landscape and even more fragile road network.
But when more details were revealed it triggered a wave of discontent from big and small hospitality sector businesses, some of whom said they would have to close.
Yet there remained support for the scheme from campaigners who want revenues to flow into housing and other areas to ease pressures.
With more than 4000 consultation responses to sift through, the local authority is set to discuss an update at next week’s full council while those against it say now is the ideal time to hit pause.
The Inverness Chamber of Commerce CEO Colin Marr who highlighted the Scottish Government is willing to add flexibility to the proposals so it would be wise not to proceed this year.
“The industry is suffering because Scotland is an expensive place to visit – a five per cent visitor levy is too high and will put some visitors off,” he said.
“With the [Ivor McKee, public finance] minister’s statement now indicating potential flexibility, Inverness Chamber will continue to call for a pause in decision-making until the consultation and economic study results are fully reviewed — and until the implications of this new Scottish Government position are fully understood.”
However, the council said in its update that “the Minister for Public Finance confirmed that there is no opportunity to introduce new legislation in this parliamentary session.”
That means if the local authority were to wait it would be after the Scottish Parliament elections in May next year and possibly the autumn before any changes could be made at the earliest.
It is not the first time the council has been asked to do so and when an attempt was made to halt further progress was defeated by the SNP-Highland Independents a Labour councillor accused the council of “digging its heels in – on shifting sands.”
Instead the council resolved to do nothing more than provide the current update which reveals not a lot more than that there would be no new changes to legislation before the next parliamentary term.
It also stated that the December council meeting will set out the findings from the independent assessments along with recommendations “on the way ahead for the Visitor Levy for Highland area” – which was always the plan from the beginning.