ARGYLL and Bute Council tried to have more than £136,000 in unpaid council tax from the Faslane peace camp written off, a councillor has claimed.

The sum relates to six properties at the Shandon camp on which not a penny has been paid since the council tax system was introduced in Scotland 25 years ago.

The total of £136,517.43 is divided among six properties still on the council tax register.

The amount outstanding on the six properties ranges from £20,399.76 to £25,104.46.

George Freeman, one of three councillors for the Lomond North ward, which covers the peace camp, called the revelation “scandalous” – and accused the council of double standards over the issue.

Cllr Freeman told the Advertiser: “When you look at the way that councils calculate council tax bills, this means that residents across Argyll and Bute are having to subsidise the Faslane peace camp.

“The council would never consider just removing the council tax accounts of anyone else in Argyll and Bute who was in arrears with council tax, yet here we are with the council happy to ignore this massive debt by those at the peace camp.

“These arrears date back to April 1, 1993. No payments have been made at any time against any of these accounts.”

Cllr Freeman said Argyll and Bute officials had contacted the council tax assessor’s office at the Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute valuation joint board, which oversees the area’s council tax register, “to see if they were willing to have these accounts removed” from the tax register, but that “they were not willing to do so”.

Cllr Freeman also pointed the finger at Helensburgh Conservative councillor Gary Mulvaney, the authority’s policy lead for strategic finance over the issue.

He said: “What surprises me more is that Councillor Gary Mulvaney, who is a Conservative councillor and is also the policy lead for finance issues within the council, appears to be happy for the council tax bills for those at Faslane peace camp to be torn up, for their accounts to be removed from the council tax register, and for the other residents of Argyll and Bute to subsidise those living at the camp.

“If Councillor Mulvaney is not aware of this scandalous situation, then it appears that he is not doing the job that he is paid extra money to do.”

Councillor Mulvaney responded: “The council has not written off any of the £136,517.43 in council tax arrears in respect of six properties at the Faslane peace camp.

“We will continue to pursue such debts in the same way as we pursue all of council tax through our appointed sheriff officers.

“Council tax collections for all years prior to 2016/17 are now in excess of 97 per cent and for eight of these years are in excess of 98 per cent.”

A spokeswoman for the council added: “The debts have been passed to our appointed sheriff officers following summary warrant, in the same way that we deal with all arrears of council tax.

“We asked the assessor to confirm that these accounts are properly contained in the council tax register, and they did so.

“This was done in the same way as we would routinely ask the assessor to confirm the inclusion of a number of dwellings which are claimed to be tumble down, dilapidated or abandoned.

“We will continue to pursue collection of these arrears through our sheriff officers using all appropriate means.”

David Thomson, district assessor with the Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute valuation joint board, told the Advertiser: “I have no role in the collection of, or relief from council tax.

“These are matters which are wholly under the remit of Argyll and Bute Council.

“As such I can make no comment on any matter relating to accounts, arrears or write off.

“I can confirm that council tax valuation list entries were made for a number of residential caravans at the Peace Camp, Shandon some years ago and I remain of the view that these are still appropriate.

“I should add that councils cannot influence or interfere with the decisions of assessors, who are separately appointed, independent, officials.”