Owners of empty and second homes in the district will have to pay more council tax on their properties from next month.

The move comes under a new Bradford Council plan designed to unlock those houses that have been left empty long-term.

As part of the Council’s budget making process last month, the Liberal Democrats called for the existing 50 per cent discounts to be scrapped.

Instead, from April, owners of long-term empty properties will have to pay full council tax and those with second homes will receive a ten per cent reduction.

The move is likely to affect more than 7,000 empty homes, of which approximately 800 are classed as second homes.

Scrapping the discounts is set to provide a windfall this year of £3 million, and £1.2m has been earmarked for an initiative to help bring empty homes back into use.

Liberal Democrats group leader, Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, said: “It cannot be right that we’ve got 7,000 empty homes and about 9,000 families looking for a home.

"The recession has all but halted new building and changing financial circumstances means that many people cannot find a mortgage.

“To provide the funding to support a scheme to return to use empty homes, we have proposed to charge the council tax on empty homes and holiday homes.

“People who wish to maintain two homes can of course continue to do so, but they will have to meet the tax liability on them.”

The changes were part of the joint Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green budget which was voted through a meeting of full council last week.