| Published |
26 November 2008 |
Summary
Details of the local authority council taxbase 2008 England were announced on 26 November 2008.
The latest statistics release includes data from 2004 to 2008 updates those statistics previously issued on 5 December 2007.
Number of dwellings
- In England there were 21.8 million dwellings on the Valuation Office valuation list liable for council tax as at 15 September 2008. This is an increase of 1 per cent compared with 2007 and an increase of 3 per cent compared with 2004.
- The number of dwellings on the valuation list that are exempt from council tax increased by 2 per cent compared with 2007 and by 12 per cent compared with 2004.
- The number of class L exemptions (unoccupied dwellings repossessed by a mortgage lender) more than doubled between September 2007 and September 2008. Exemptions stood at 15,900 in 2008 compared with 15,300 in 2007 and 2,000 in 2004.
- The number of class E exemptions (unoccupied dwellings because the resident has moved into hospital or a care home) increased by 19 per cent from September 2007 to stand at 30,600 in September 2008.
- 7.5 million dwellings were entitled to a discount as a result of being occupied by single adults. This represents 35 per cent of all dwellings.
Empty properties
- Since 2004 the overall number of long term empty properties has risen by 3 per cent to 328 thousand. In 2004, 76 per cent of all long term empty properties were subject to a discount but by 2008 this figure had fallen to 56 per cent.
Number of dwellings by region and valuation band
- Nationally, two thirds of properties are in Bands A to C and only 9 per cent are in the top three bands.
- The pattern varies widely across regions. In the North East 56 per cent of all properties are in Band A; in London the figure is just 3 per cent. London and the South East accounts for 70 per cent of all Band H properties in England.
The full statistical release and accompanying tables are available via the link below.
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