Cheshire East needs to assess whether it can afford its council tax support scheme in its current form and also consider whether foster carers should be exempt from paying, a councillor has said.

Speaking at Monday's (June 2) meeting of the finance sub-committee, Conservative group leader Stewart Gardiner said there were a number of things the council could potentially look at to help its finances.

"One is the council tax support scheme," he said.

"I would very much like to know exactly how much that is costing us because I anticipate that, with inflation and more people being caught in potential difficulty in meeting their council tax demands, we might find that we've got to review that, exactly who it is we're helping and how much the cost has been in recent years.

"Is it something we can continue to afford?"

He then asked about foster carers.

Foster carers and care leavers are exempt from paying council tax in Cheshire East, although this is not a national policy.

Cheshire East introduced the exemption a decade ago.

Councillor Gardiner said: "With regards to foster carers, I know they deliver an excellent service that we all require, but they are paid to provide that service."

He said the council tax exemption was an incentive to encourage people to foster, but added: "Is it something we can afford?"

Councillor Stewart Gardiner (Credit: CEC)

To boost the council's coffers and help the housing crisis, councillor Gardiner also suggested the idea of increasing the council tax rate on empty homes.

Cheshire East currently charges the full amount of council tax for properties that are empty for between one and five years, 200 per cent for those empty between five and 10 years and 300 per cent for any that have been vacant for more than 10 years.

"I was rather interested to read the percentages we charge for empty properties," said councillor Gardiner.

"I think perhaps we should be reviewing that.

"I do know that authorities not so many miles from here have charges significantly more for two to five years than we are currently charging."

He said hiking up the charge would have two effects.

"It will assist with our revenue, but it also will serve to reduce the number of empty properties we have in the borough and, given there's a need for additional housing, it does make sense to find some way of encouraging people to bring those properties back into use," said the Knutsford councillor.

Officers said they would bring a report on the matters raised to a future meeting of the committee.