Green Partys Polanski may owe 4000 council tax on houseboat

Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party and a member of the London Assembly, has acknowledged that he may owe up to 4,000 pounds in council tax for living on a houseboat moored at Springfield Marina in east London for about three years. Waltham Forest Council confirmed it is assessing the situation and seeking legal advice to determine any liability.

The controversy centers on whether the 72-foot narrowboat, named Olympian, served as Polanski's primary residence. Government guidance states that council tax applies to a boat if it is a person's sole or main home. Initially, a Green Party spokesperson told reporters that Polanski rented a room elsewhere, with council tax included in the rent, and used the boat only occasionally. However, the party later issued a statement acknowledging he lived there until relatively recently. "He has immediately taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe," the spokesperson said. "Zack apologises sincerely for the unintentional mistake."

Evidence suggesting extended residency includes a since-deleted online advertisement for the boat's sale, posted by Polanski's partner, which described it as "our amazing home...for three years"...