council tax and your conservatory 7 March 2005 at 7:45PM in Over 50s MoneySaving 11 replies 11.6K views

oap

Good evening, I am really not sure where to post this question, so as I am an oap trying here first, when we had our conservatory 7 years ago , we did not need planning permission, so long as we kept it to the regulation size. We understand that a glass conservatory whether on bricks or not is classed as a temporary building, ie not an extension which would be all brick with a proper roof. Can anyone tell me whether a conservatory adds to your council tax, my neighbour was complaining about the fact that some of us in exactly the same houses were in band d or e, he was asked did he have a swimming pool, that we can understand, the other question did he have a conservatory.
with the new banding coming in next year we are quite worried, if council tax is based on value of property, would that mean a conservatory would add value and put you in another band.

Would like anyones views as to whether or not they have been penalised in their council tax for having a conservatory.

Many thanks, oap

Paul_Varjak

I would suggest ringing your local council for advice on that!

BillyWiz

My understanding is that it is a matter of whether the value of property is increased sufficiently to take you from one valuation band to another.

It will only be effective either at the next revaluation (2007) or if there is a new owner.

You could try your district council website https://www.XXX.gov.uk (you can probably guess the rest) or maybe the https://www.ODPM.gov.uk (http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/ctax/ctaxvalappeal.pdf) or, as suggested, email your counsellor and make him work for his expenses

Hope this helps

oap

Hello, thanks for the replies, we have a totally useless councillor, and he looks the other way when we pass!! We just wondered if anybody had had this problem, it may not be a problem, we will have to wait and see I suppose, or we could ring the council I suppose, but you usually, where we live, get nowhere!! I think you are probably right that a conservatory may add enough value to push us up into the next band if we are bordering when the new bands come out. Someone told us the other day it was next year 2006?? Regards oap

trafalgar_2

According to this site here council tax is not worked out on the value of your home

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Property values and bands[/font]

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The council tax band of a property is not related to its current market value. This is because, by law, council tax valuations are based on the price a property would have fetched if it had been sold on 1 April 1991. General price movements in the housing market since 1991 are not, therefore, a reason for changing a council tax banding. If you are thinking of appealing against a band, please read the [/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]'Can I appeal?' [/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]pages for the circumstances that permit an appeal. "[/font]


therefore according to this,adding a conservatory and increasing the value,will have no effect on your banding.................you can also find out your banding that site:) mine is band c




But remember your area may raise your council tax anyway but it won't be any differant than it would of been without the conservatory

Edinburghlass_2

oap wrote:

Hello, thanks for the replies, we have a totally useless councillor, and he looks the other way when we pass!! We just wondered if anybody had had this problem, it may not be a problem, we will have to wait and see I suppose, or we could ring the council I suppose, but you usually, where we live, get nowhere!! I think you are probably right that a conservatory may add enough value to push us up into the next band if we are bordering when the new bands come out. Someone told us the other day it was next year 2006?? Regards oap

I haven't heard about new bands etc but usually they trial these in Scotland :eek: and also the website Trafalgar has just given is for England and Wales so if you are in Scotland, the "rules" may well be different

trafalgar_2

My apologies Edinburghlass,I keep forgetting ,I have checked and it's the same in Scotland as in the valuation is set at the rate for 1991......therefore the conservatory being added will make no differance


"Valuations are based on the amount which dwellings might have reasonably been expected to realise in the open market, subject to certain "valuation assumptions", if sold on 1 April 1991"

...............though the bands could differ and are set out HERE for Scotland





It's a good job my hubby hasn't joined this site or he'd be rapping my knuckles:D

margaret_3

oap wrote:

Hello, thanks for the replies, we have a totally useless councillor, and he looks the other way when we pass!! We just wondered if anybody had had this problem, it may not be a problem, we will have to wait and see I suppose, or we could ring the council I suppose, but you usually, where we live, get nowhere!! I think you are probably right that a conservatory may add enough value to push us up into the next band if we are bordering when the new bands come out. Someone told us the other day it was next year 2006?? Regards oap

I know that this is not an answer to your present problem, but you may well need a councillor's help in the future so you should report him to his leader. When it comes to the time for selection, this will be taken into consideration when they decide whether to put him up for election or not.
I'm positive that he will start to work for his constituents if you report him now.
Margaret

oap

Hi, thank you so much for your replies, very helpful indeed, we are in North Wales, but I think (hope) the rules for banding are the same as England.
We are confused because the same type four bed dormer bungalows are d or e, and two and three bed bungalows are varying from band d to e and it does not make sense, however, we have not had our new council tax bill yet, so maybe we are in a different band, but we have not be told it has changed, we were sent a letter from Wrexham (nowhere near to where we live) to say it would be band e unless we were notified to the contrary, and we have not been notified.(YET!)

Regarding the councillor, he was voted back in!
Best regards, oap

Ted_Hutchinson

Council Tax Rebanding
those interested in reading how the rebanding may affect those in England and Scotland may be interested in the above link.

brm_2

oap wrote:

Hi, thank you so much for your replies, very helpful indeed, we are in North Wales, but I think (hope) the rules for banding are the same as England.
We are confused because the same type four bed dormer bungalows are d or e, and two and three bed bungalows are varying from band d to e and it does not make sense, however, we have not had our new council tax bill yet, so maybe we are in a different band, but we have not be told it has changed, we were sent a letter from Wrexham (nowhere near to where we live) to say it would be band e unless we were notified to the contrary, and we have not been notified.(YET!)

Regarding the councillor, he was voted back in!
Best regards, oap

My advice to you both, is to not submit any information on any forms that arrive from the valuation office asking for any alterations to the property since 1991. This is not a legal requirement.
They are paid to make new valuations as and when these are required, ie when the property is sold.
Be aware, and appeal, if you feel that mistakes have been made in your council tax banding.