Powers to revalue Welsh council tax bands to be devolved, says Pickles

3 Dec 10
The revaluation of council tax bands in Wales planned for 2015 has been cancelled, as the powers for setting the dates are to be transferred to the Welsh government
By Lucy Phillips

6 December 2010

The revaluation of council tax bands in Wales planned for 2015 has been cancelled, as the powers for setting the dates are to be transferred to the Welsh government.

Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles announced the decision on Friday when he revealed that measures in this week’s Localism Bill would devolve decisions on council tax revaluations in Wales to the Welsh Assembly Government.

This will remove the legal requirement to hold a revaluation in 2015, for which work was due to start in 2012/13.

The last valuation in Wales was conducted in 2005 when, according to the government, four times as many homes moved up one or more council tax bands than moved down.

The announcement follows the government’s announcement in September that there would be norevaluation of council tax bands in England during the current Parliament. Council tax had risen significantly since 1997, with Band D bills rising by 109%. A revaluation would further increase bills by pushing more homes into higher bands.

Pickles said: ‘We’ve confirmed that English taxpayers will not face an unwanted council tax revaluation hike, it’s only right that Welsh taxpayers have the same protection.

‘The 2005 revaluation showed how this tax exercise was used as an excuse to push up bills for hardworking families and pensioners. ‘

Secretary of state for Wales Cheryl Gillan welcomed the decision and urged WAG ministers to ‘move swiftly to give the same protection to Welsh taxpayers as the UK government has given in England.’

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