70,000 homeowners stung by council tax 'stealth rise'

By: Ian Drury
Date: 04th June 2008

More than 70,000 households are paying hundreds of pounds extra in council tax after Labour revalued their homes by stealth, the Liberal Democrats have claimed.

The party claims that those who bought homes that had been improved by the previous occupants have seen their bills rise by an average of £195 a year.

Council tax 'snoopers' have placed the properties in a higher band because of changes such as new conservatories, porches, extra bedrooms and parking spaces.

Inspectors from the Government's Valuation Office Agency have moved 70,010 homes into a higher band since 1997 when Labour came to power.

Statistics published by the Department for Communities and Local Government showed that nearly 391,000 properties had been revalued in the past decade.

Of these, about one in five were moved to a higher band after being studied by officials - forcing residents to pay out more.

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