Council Tax Banding Criteria...Any help?

Hi members. I'm new here and trying to find my way around, so please bear with me.


We are currently looking into the possibility of challenging our banding.I have read what info is available and it would seem, initially ,that we were banded C, like most of the properties which are similar to our one BUT also those that are not.


Before we challenge we need to know exactly what the criteria for banding was back in 1991.
You see our property is not built of the usual 'Bricks and Mortar' construction. It is a Timber/roughcast construction. We had difficulty in obtaining a mortgage (0nly got it in the end as we were paying a large sum in cash and had to have our mortgage reduced to a 21 year term from the already agreed 25 years) plus we incurred a half percent charge on the payments, as our property was deemed as being of substandard construction. For several years we were in negative equity and even now, properties the same as ours sell for much less than brick built homes..


We also have trouble finding companies that are wiling to give house/contents insurance and those that do will usually charge more due to the structure of our home.


Our property is a semi detached bungalow...the one we are ajoined to is the same construction. But several properties around us are brick built houses. The property next door to us the other side is brick built and detached and banded C. The one next door to that is also detatched yet that is a B banding.


Sorry if I appear to be 'whaffling' but I am trying to remember my points...the main one being that our property is worth much less on the open market than those of similar size, due to it's construction. Do you think we have a valid challenge?


Thank you in anticipation


Lou