Bristol facing Council Tax timebomb

1.04.06pm GMT Wed 16th Mar 2005

Rosemary Quinnell's Council Tax bill already takes up a quarter of her pension.

"Bristol should brace itself for massive increases in Council Tax if the Government goes ahead with revaluation." That is the stark warning coming from Stephen Williams, Prospective Lib Dem MP for Bristol West (photo left).

This massive hike in Council Tax will be caused because the Government is planning to revalue all Council Tax bands in England during 2005 with revised Bills being issued in 2007. This is the first revaluation since 1991, since when property prices in Bristol have risen dramatically, much faster than many other parts of the country.

Visiting Lib Dem MP Ed Davey (photo right) highlighted how this revaluation has already affected Wales, where 1/3 of households saw their Bills leap up at least one tax band. In some cases people found themselves being moved up by two or more bands, and in one case a family was moved up six bands - more than doubling their bill.

Particularly worrying for Bristol's residents is the evidence that in areas where property prices have risen quickly the vast majority of households have found themselves in a higher band. In parts of Wrexham and Cardiff over 90% of households were moved up by at least one band.

Council Tax revaluation is totally arbitrary, as the amount Council Tax increase a household is forced to pay may have no relation to their ability to pay it. In fact many people will have retired since 1991 and although their house will have increased in value they will actually be less able to pay their Council Tax.

The Liberal Democrats are campaigning hard to stop Council Tax revaluation. Discussing the campaign, Stephen Williams said: "Council Tax is already inefficient, unfair and thoroughly unpopular. Now the Government plans to make it worse for the people of Bristol by forcing their Council tax through the roof. It is no surprise that they have decided to revalue Council Tax after the General Election because they know that it will be bad for ordinary families, bad for pensioners and especially bad for Bristol. The Government should see sense and call revaluation off before it causes more misery."