Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
A brighton the council leader has called tourist tax Powers to be given to local authorities so councils can “reinvest” in cities under the pressure of High visitor numbers.
Labor brighton And Hove councilor Bella Sankey made a case for granting tourist levy rights at the annual event labor party conference In Liverpool at the end of September.
Brighton attracts approximately 11 million visitors each year with its seaside attractions, LGBT+ scene, vibrant nightlife and range of independent shops, restaurants, bars and art galleries.
With tourists bringing £1.27 billion of economic benefit to the area annually and supporting more than 23,000 jobs, Brighton councilors are now looking for a way to boost their visitor economy even further.
During a fringe event organized by the think tank Society of Labor Lawyers at the Labor Party conference, Ms Sankey said the powers for any visitor levy should be given to councils.
He said, “I feel strongly that this is a power that should be in local government rather than just combined authorities and directly elected mayors.” Local Government Chronicle,
However, he said this would “vary” and could be a case of “overlapping” powers for joint authorities.
“In my part of the world, our tourism economy in Brighton and Hove is very different to the tourism economy in the rest of Sussex,” the councilor explained.
At the conference, Ms Sankey predicted that once local government restructuring was complete, it would be “much easier” for the Treasury to “start to delegate more fiscal responsibility”.
The UK Government proposed changes to local government in England in December, calling for simpler structures for devolved authorities.
Ms Sankey said the tourism levy could be used to “reinvest” into the local area, such as places that feel the pressure of large numbers of tourists.
Following his comments at the conference, the councilor reiterated his stance x (formerly Twitter).
“We want to give the best welcome to our millions of visitors and reinvest in our visitor economy to benefit local businesses,” he posted.
This is not the first time Ms Sankey has expressed her support for local financial powers being used to manage tourism.
Ms Sankey said October last year She would like to see new powers allowing councils within the UK to regulate the number of short-term holidays and the power to allow them to decide on taxes for tourists.
“We are not immune to the impact of the national housing crisis,” he said. Independent In 2024.
“We need new powers to regulate the number of short-term rentals and allow us to collect tourism tax, which we can then reinvest into our wonderful city and ensure it remains a vibrant and welcoming place that residents are proud of and millions of people love to visit.”
While Scotland and Wales has passed the law Neither central nor local governments in England currently have the power to impose tourist taxes, while allowing local authorities to levy ‘tourist taxes’ on accommodation.