Visitor Levy should be spent in the areas it's raised, say councillors

But not everybody supports the idea of the levy, with one councillor remarking that it was “premature in the extreme” to compare the possibility with similar schemes across Europe.

 

The decision on whether to put a visitor levy out to consultation will be made at a meeting of the full council on Friday, December 20.

 

However, a question was raised at a committee meeting regarding whether communities would be engaged on how to spend the income.

 

The discussion took place at a meeting of the council’s Oban Lorn and the Isles area committee on Wednesday, December 11.

 

During public question time at the meeting, Phil Hamerton asked: “In the event that the council does instigate a visitor levy, how do the committee see communities in general in the process of identifying needs from the funds?”

 

The committee’s chairperson, Councillor Julie McKenzie (SNP, Oban North and Lorn), responded: “We are speaking about something that we do not know will happen. We do not even know if there will be a consultation.

 

“Should there be a consultation, I would want to speak to other members of the area committee to gain their views.

 

“It will come down to a vote in the council chamber in many months’ time, if the consultation goes ahead and it is positive.

 

“It is very difficult to give answers on something we do not have the detail for at this point.”

 

Mr Hamerton then asked about how the committee perceived communities as part of the process of allocating potential funds.

 

Councillor McKenzie added: “Speaking about a levy that does not exist, yes, I think the money raised in this local area should stay in this local area.

 

“That is where I would like to see any development of a levy. I would like area committees to have a say in conjunction with communities.”

 

Councillor Kieron Green (Independent, Oban North and Lorn) said: “I fully agree with what Councillor McKenzie has said, and would encourage everybody, should the consultation go ahead, to submit full views.

 

“That would include not only the potential services that could be supported, but the mechanism for deciding how these are prioritised.”

 

Councillor Luna Martin (Scottish Greens, Oban North and Lorn) added: “I will be voting for this to go to consultation. I think it is important that we consult with the public to give their views.

 

“Like Councillors Green and McKenzie, I think that if a levy did come into play, the area committees could have a large part in deciding where the money goes in their community.”

 

But Councillor Andrew Kain (Independent, Oban South and the Isles) had a different take, saying: “It is premature in the extreme to look at a levy and try to compare it with major cities and conurbations across Europe.

 

“We have a very diverse and fragile economy here, and the idea that imposing a levy, indeed a tax, will solve our problems on funding very difficult issues is premature.

 

“There is also great diversity across Argyll and Bute, between island communities and mainland communities. It is also the case that we have not seen the impact of other changes that are going to be put in place regarding the visitor economy.

 

“Finally, there is an issue where everybody has a view on this, but it is not everybody who is going to be paying it, and there is unfairness built into the system.”