Somerset Council has ruled out introducing any form of holiday tax for the foreseeable future after concerns were raised about the possible impact on the county's tourism industry.

The issue was raised when the council's executive committee met in Taunton on Tuesday, 1 April, with Conservative councillor Bob Filmer seeking reassurance that no such charge would be brought in locally.

The row centres on a government consultation on allowing mayoral strategic authorities in England to introduce local overnight visitor levies. In effect, that would mean tourists paying an extra charge on overnight stays, with the money then reinvested into local services.

The consultation closed on 18 February and feedback is now being analysed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government before any formal proposals are brought forward.

Mr Filmer, who represents Brent, said the prospect of a holiday tax was deeply worrying for Somerset, where tourism supports large numbers of businesses and jobs.

He told the meeting that many firms in places such as Berrow and Brean were already under pressure from rising taxes, higher staffing costs and increased overheads, and said they could not afford any further local burdens.

His division includes caravan parks, Brean Down and Brean Theme Park, which reopened over Easter after previously entering liquidation.

In response, councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, Somerset Council's portfolio holder for communities, council housing, culture, equalities and diversity, said the authority had no current plans to introduce any kind of tourist tax in Somerset.

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She said the council did not currently have the power to set a tax on visitors and made clear that any future move in that direction would depend on decisions taken by central government, the shape of regional devolution and any future strategic authority covering the area.

Mrs Smith-Roberts also said tourism remained one of Somerset's bedrock sectors within the county's economic prosperity strategy.

That means, for now, no Somerset holiday tax is on the table.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Filmer said he would continue pressing the Liberal Democrat administration to make sure that remained the case.

He said tourism was one of Somerset's key industries and warned that new local charges could make the county less competitive at a time when businesses were already under strain.

Original reporting: Daniel Mumby/LDRS

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