COUNCIL TAX

Call for council tax overhaul

Work should begin now on the ‘long-overdue’ revaluation of all domestic properties in England to bolster local government finance, a think-tank has argued.

Work should begin now on the ‘long-overdue' revaluation of all domestic properties in England to bolster local government finance, a think-tank has argued.

The council tax system should then be reformed in the long term, the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) said in its Spring Budget submission.

Revaluing properties would create a fairer council tax system, which reflects changes in the market since the last valuation took place in 1991, according to the NPP, a think-tank and advocacy group for the North of England.

Under the current system, a homeowner in Hartlepool living in a house worth £150,000 is paying more than £200 a year more in council tax than someone in Westminster in a property worth £8m, the partnership said.

It added that to make council tax ‘fully progressive', three new council tax ‘super bands' should be introduced for properties worth £2m and above, with revenue shared across the country to help less prosperous areas pay for key services like children's social care.

The think-tank also urged the chancellor to extend and deepen devolution. It said new level 4 mayoralties should receive a single funding settlement, and metro mayors should have powers to retain full business rates and introduce tourism taxes.

COUNCIL TAX

Navigating place-based decarbonisation

By Paul Marinko | 02 July 2025

In a rapidly changing world and a sector consumed with financial pressures and local government reorganisation, climate initiatives will prove difficult to k...

COUNCIL TAX

AI is the greatest tool councils have at their disposal

By Alexander Iosad | 02 July 2025

By championing AI, councillors of all colours can put local authorities on the path to becoming engines of renewal again, says Alexander Iosad.

COUNCIL TAX

Forging the future

By Martin Ford | 25 June 2025

With the sector in crisis and the need for radical change, fundamental questions are being asked about what local government is for. Martin Ford reports.

COUNCIL TAX

Councils face enforcement capacity 'struggle'

By Martin Ford | 18 June 2025

A cornerstone of the Renter’s Rights Bill is under threat due to a lack of council capacity, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.

Popular articles by Ellie Ames