Owners of long-term empty homes are refusing to pay the money they owe a cash-strapped Merseyside council.

That’s according to Wirral Council’s cabinet member for finance Janette Williamson – who said some owners ‘simply won’t pay.’

Currently, owners of homes left empty for two or more years must pay a 100% premium on their Council Tax.

But last night, at a full council meeting, councillors gave the green light to doubling the premium to 200% for homes left empty for five or more years.

The change was approved unanimously and will come into effect on April 1, 2020.

Cllr Ian Lewis, leader of Wirral’s Tory councillors, asked for a guarantee that all property owners liable for this premium will be contacted by the council and offered advice on how to bring their homes back into use or put up for sale.

He said this was better than simply “hitting them” with a 200% increase in Council Tax.

Labour’s Janette Williamson, the cabinet for finance, responded: “We do have a number of debtors within this bracket who simply won’t pay us because they don’t think they should, that for me is not good enough.

“It’s a debt that’s owed to the council and therefore it ought to be paid like any other debt. Of course if there are [mitigating] circumstances we can help.”

To this effect, Cllr Williamson insisted Wirral Council has a wider strategy on empty homes and bringing them back into use, beyond this one policy.

How much will it cost, how many will be affected and how much will it raise?

Last year, Wirral Council doubled the so-called Empty Homes Premium from 50% to 100% for homes left empty for two years.

But new powers mean they are able to double the charge once again to 200% for properties which have been left empty for five or more years.

On a Band A property, this would mean the owner paying £3,646.47 in council tax, instead of £1,215.49.

There are currently 647 properties in Wirral that have been empty for more than two years and 250 have been empty for more than five years.

The plans are predicted to raise £200,000 for the council.