Norwich City Council proposes higher council tax bands

Members of Norwich City Council have proposed that the Labour government should introduce more council tax bands across the country in order to raise funds for deprived areas.

There are currently around 65 properties in Norwich that sit in the highest tax band and each pay more than £4,000 a year to the council.

Government ministers have previously pledged not to make any changes to council tax bands amid accusations they would copy plans set out by the Labour-run Welsh government to overhaul the system. 

However, City Hall officials have urged the new government to reconsider its position and remodel the banding, which has remained unchanged since 1991.

Homes in Norwich fall into one of eight council tax bands (Image: Denise Bradley)

Paul Kendrick, one of the council's cabinet members, said: "I would like to see us introduce more council tax bands for the most expensive houses.

"Extra money raised should be collected on a national level and shared out so that councils such as Norwich, which represent poorer areas, can benefit."

Labour-run Norwich City Council remains under no overall control following the local elections in May. 

The authority collects council tax from roughly 70,000 residential properties across the city to fund services such as policing, street cleaning and park maintenance. 

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Paul Kendrick, cabinet member for an open and modern council (Image: Archant)

There are around 28,000 households in Norwich that sit in the lowest band and pay £1,523 to the council, while less than 100 homes pay the highest amount of £4,570.

Households are assigned to one of eight bands according to the value of their property in 1991 - rather than being based on its current value - leading to criticism that the system does not reflect changes in house prices and favours wealthier property owners.