251008 - Special Cabinet Minute
North Ayrshire Council · 28 October 2025
Back to Cabinet — 28 October 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Cabinet 8 October 2025 IRVINE, 8 October 2025 - At a Special Meeting of the Cabinet of North Ayrshire Council at 2.00 p.m. Present (Physical Participation) Marie Burns, Tony Gurney, Christina Larsen, Shaun Macaulay and Chloé Robertson. In Attendance C. Hatton, Chief Executive; Y. Baulk, Head of Service (Housing & Public Protection) (Communities and Housing), M. Boyd, Head of Service (Finance); A. Craig, Head of Service (Democratic), C. Cochrane, Solicitor (Legal), M. McColm, Senior Manager (Communications) and H. Young, Senior Committee Services Officer (Democratic Services) (Corporate Services). Also Present Eleanor Collier and Cameron Inglis Also in Attendance G. Harvie, Cumbrae Community Council Chair Marie Burns in the Chair. Apologies Alan Hill 1. Declarations of Interest There were no declarations of interest by Members in terms of Standing Order 11 and Section 5 of the Code of Conduct for Councillors. The following item is subject to the call-in procedure per the Council's Scheme of Administration and will be considered at a meeting of Audit & Scrutiny Committee. 3. Review of Decision relating to Island Community Impact Assessment– 100% Premium Council Tax Charge on Second Homes on Cumbrae Submitted a report by the Head of Democratic Services on a review of the island communities impact assessment relating to the decision to impose a 100% Council Tax premium on second homes on Cumbrae, and the reasons for that determination. A summary of concerns raised in written representations about the impact of the policy on Cumbrae was set out at Appendix 1 to the report. Comments made by Council Officers on the application, written representations and applicant’s comments were set out at Appendix 2 to the report. Further comments by the Applicant were set out at Appendix 3 to the report. The Chair outlined the process for the Island Community Impact Assessment Review and advised that Dr Gregor Harvie, representing Cumbrae Community Council was present to address Cabinet in terms of the review application and would be allocated ten
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minutes to address Cabinet. The Head of Service (Finance) would then address Cabinet in response to the review. The Head of Democratic Services outlined the terms of the review for an Island Communities Impact Assessment and summarised the position, it was also noted the review was of the Impact Assessment itself rather than the decision to impose a 100% Council Tax premium on second homes on Cumbrae. Dr Harvie outlined Cumbrae Community Council objections to the Impact Assessment, including the following: • the question for Cabinet is whether the impact assessment for Cumbrae satisfied the legal requirement or would require to be redone; • Islands Act 2018 was created to improve outcomes for Island Communities when policy changes are proposed, with the requirement to prepare an impact assessment where a policy would likely have an impact on an Island Community which was significantly different to the effect on other communities; • legislation required the impact assessment to describe the significantly different effect on Cumbrae and assess the extent to which the policy could be developed or improved to mitigate that; • the impact assessment for Cumbrae did identify significantly different effects but did not propose any mitigation and therefore did not comply with the Islands Act 2018; • the impact assessment also referred to additional money for affordable housing and a continuation of the 12 month discount for recently purchased properties that were being renovated, however the proposals are North Ayrshire wide and not related or targeted to the specific problems on Cumbrae and therefore not relevant to the impact assessment; • Cumbrae Community Council had called for the review based on the grounds set out in the regulations, that the authority failed to assess the extent to which the policy can be developed or improved, to mitigate the outcome for the Island community and therefore the impact assessment did not form its legal function and that a new impact assessment should be undertaken; • consequences of a significant tax increase through imposition of the second home premium would be severe for Cumbrae; • 30% of North Ayrshire second homes are on Cumbrae, with a population of 1200 people therefore the impact of the policy per person for Cumbrae is 74 times higher than its impact on the mainland. Reference was also made to the Community Council’s assessment of the amount of money being taken out of the island economy and its proportion relative to the overall island economy; • Cumbrae was not like the mainland or Arran as many properties on the Island were originally built as second homes; small flats make up 76% of second homes and are not suitable for occupation by working families; • second homeowners are an integral part of the community and come to the Island throughout the year providing vital income in the winter; • the impact assessment should have provided answers to questions such as what was the strategy for doubling employment on Cumbrae with 450 second homes but only 400 jobs on the Island, improving the standard of small 1 and 2 bedroom flats so people could live in them permanently, creating demand for properties which may be put up for sale as a result of the policy and boosting the Cumbrae economy; and • the impact assessment did identify the problems for Cumbrae but did not make
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any proposals for mitigation or solutions; the view was expressed that Cabinet should call for a new impact assessment to be carried out. Members then asked questions of the review applicant. The Head of Service (Finance) then addressed Cabinet in relation to the ICIA undertaken in relation to the decision to impose a 100% Council Tax premium on second homes on Cumbrae and referred to Council Officer comments on the application, the written representations and applicant’s comments set out at Appendix 2 to the report. Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report. The review applicant was then afforded an opportunity to make brief final comments. Members had the opportunity to ask further questions and received clarification on the review. Councillor Gurney stated that while he understood that there may be disagreements with the conclusions of the ICIA, particularly with regard to potential future outcomes, he could not see that it was not properly carried out. Councillor Gurney, seconded by Councillor Larsen, moved that the Island Community Impact Assessment appended to the 12 February 2025 Council report was sufficient, and to receive a future report on the outcomes of the policy one year after implementation to understand the consequences. There being no amendment the motion was declared carried. Accordingly, Cabinet agreed that (i) the Island Community Impact Assessment appended to the 12 February 2025 Council report was sufficient; and (ii) a report be brought to Council in June 2026 on the Island Community Impact Assessment outcomes as part of the ongoing monitoring process. The meeting ended at 2.55 p.m.