IT’S good to hear that Mr Froggatt (Letters, December 28, 'Don't increase Council Tax') is prepared to pay 100 per cent of owed Council Tax as his contribution to sustaining local communities in south Cumbria.

It must be hard to pay two lots of Council Tax (presumably for his first home in Surrey and second home in Cumbria) while only using South Lakeland District Council services 'infrequently'. I’m curious to know how SLDC turns off its services to him when he’s not here.

Assuming that his house in Troutbeck catches fire when he’s at home in Surrey I wonder how he expects the fire service to put it out? (Using this line of logic I should be due a rebate for every time I’m working out of the county).

I wonder how he thinks professional/caring/cleaning services will be sustained when there is no-one here to actually carry them out? Any thoughts on how a local school can find cleaners at £7.78 per hour for two hours per day when the price of property in and around the school prices out anyone on a middling to low income. (Perhaps they can be bussed in from a large conurbation?)

Or, how locally retained firefighters can find property to live in so that they are locally available to put out his house fire.

Unless government makes some serious decisions about the economic and regulatory levers available to control the quantity of second homes we are doomed as viable, 'normal' communities.

Having a second home is a privilege and privilege comes with a cost – potentially higher Council Tax.

I suggest that he starts to think long and hard about the impact of uncontrolled second home ownership on the viability of local communities, individuals and families, and what he can do to prevent further damage.

Mark Jackson

High Newton