Title

FINANCE

Let local government deal with property revaluation

To cut through policital timidity, the whole problem of revaluing council tax levels should be handed down to local government, with extra powers to add in extra bands, argues Heather Jameson.

As party conference season draws to a close, it is the Lib Dems who – perhaps unsurprisingly – have been the most vocal on local issues.

Even public service integration was given a boost in its document on Protecting Public Services. It called for cross-service working without structural change to cut costs.

It also includes plans for a cross-public services graduate trainee programme and a ‘Hippocratic Oath' for non-medical public servants. I'm not sure if that doesn't already exist in the ‘public sector ethos' that so many people feel – but is the public aware of how deep it runs?

Business secretary Vince Cable has also rubbished Conservative fiscal plans, describing proposals to take £25bn more out of welfare and unprotected budgets as ‘fantasy'. No news there for local government, which would feel the weight of these cuts from both ends.

But the Lib Dems have hit council tax square on. Having been in the Treasury for a few years, Danny Alexander has now dismissed previous plans for a ‘mansion tax' – now taken up by David Miliband as the next big thing – as unworkable. Instead, he has called for more top rate bands to make the system fairer.

I'm all in favour of upgrading the council tax system, but would probably argue for a regional banding. The current system causes as many difficulties in Liverpool – where house prices are cheap – as it does in London, at the other end of the scale.

But to update the council tax system, a full property revaluation would also be needed. It is now nine years since David Miliband ‘postponed' revaluation – and it was well overdue then.

Subsequent secretaries of state have shied away from revaluation fearing the political fall-out – and who can blame them? My solution is simple: pass the whole problem down to local government, carry out revaluation at a local level and hand over the power to add in extra bands.

FINANCE

DCN is 'punching above its weight'

By Martin Ford | 08 October 2025

As Sam Chapman-Allen’s tenure as chair of the District Councils’ Network (DCN) comes to an end, he talks to Martin Ford about his time in the hotseat

FINANCE

Time to step up the pace

By Heather Jameson | 08 October 2025

Heather Jameson canvasses sector experts’ views on the New Towns Taskforce report, and finds a high level of support for a document that ‘doesn’t pull its pu...

FINANCE

Delivering on the growth imperative

By Heather Jameson | 08 October 2025

Chair of the New Towns Taskforce Sir Michael Lyons tells Heather Jameson that while he is positive about the dual challenge of housebuilding and economic gro...

FINANCE

Growing London benefits everyone

By Antonia Jennings | 07 October 2025

London must not be ignored as the Government focuses on spreading devolution across England – for the good of the whole country, writes Antonia Jennings.

Heather Jameson

Popular articles by Heather Jameson