A KEIGHLEY businessman says an eight-month wrangle with Bradford Council contributed to hefty council tax bills for a cottage he has been trying to sell.

Michael Swift, who owns a Stockbridge-based monumental masonry business, said the dispute over a wall at his late father's property stymied his attempts to sell the building.

And because it has been empty for more than two years must now pay a 50 per cent council tax surcharge.

Mr Swift, 70, said the two bedroom cottage had belonged to his father, who died four and a half years ago.

Mr Swift added: "My brother and I renovated the cottage and cleared the land outside because it wasn't selling.

"We moved a wall nearer the site's boundary and were accused of doing engineering works without permission.

"But I checked on a Government website which said you only needed permission for walls over two metres in height which are in contact with a public highway.

"I was in dispute with Bradford Council from August of last year, and they only conceded we could move the wall without official planning authorisation in March of this year.

"During those eight months we lost potential sales of the cottage. To add insult to injury £300, being half of the 50 per cent rise in the council tax, was charged during this period.

"We never intended to use the cottage as an investment. We became its owners through no choice of our own."

Mr Swift, who owns Swift Memorial Services in Sussex Street, said he and his brother are still trying to sell the cottage, which is in Wibsey.

He now pays a combined total of £3,000 worth of council tax a year for the home he lives in and the empty cottage.

"I've checked the Government Department for Communities and Local Government website," he said.

"It says the national Governments' intentions and directives were for local councils 'not to penalise owners of property who genuinely have their properties on the market for sale or for rent'. The 50 per cent surcharge is meant to be discretionary, not mandatory."

A Bradford Council spokesman responded: "Excavation work had been carried out on land which Mr Swift owns. Our officers inspected this and concluded planning permission was needed.

"Mr Swift agreed to look into this in August 2014, but since then, no formal planning application has been submitted.

"However, Mr Swift has submitted details of his proposal to Planning Enforcement, which we've agreed are sufficient for him to retain the land which has been excavated.

"As long as he does the work in accordance with his proposal, no action will be taken. But he still requires planning permission for the excavation works and building the wall.

"Regarding the 50 per cent council tax premium, this applies to properties which have been unoccupied and unfurnished for two years or more.

"This was introduced to encourage owners of empty properties to bring them back into use. We've written to Mr Swift to explain this."