October 21, 2026 - 274 views
Plans to update council tax bands in Wales have been delayed until the next Senedd term, as the Welsh Government warns that the cost of protecting households from higher bills would be too great at a time of pressure on public finances.
The decision could have particular significance in parts of North Wales, where property prices have risen over the past year, although the picture varies across the region.
The latest official figures show the average house price in Conwy county borough was £213,461 in June, up 1.1 per cent compared with a year earlier. In Denbighshire, the average reached £198,995, an annual increase of 3.6 per cent.
Gwynedd recorded a rise of 5.7 per cent to £206,665, while the Isle of Anglesey saw average prices increase by 6.7 per cent to £239,726. Prices in Flintshire rose by one per cent to £213,930, while Wrexham recorded a 3.4 per cent increase to £212,502.
The figures illustrate how property markets across North Wales are moving at different speeds. However, they do not show how individual homes would be affected by a future council tax revaluation, which would depend on the valuation system and the bands introduced.
Council tax bands in Wales are still based on property values in 2003. The proposed revaluation was intended to bring the system more closely into line with changes in the housing market since then.
Research commissioned by the Welsh Government estimated that around a quarter of households could have moved into a higher council tax band, while a similar proportion could have moved down. Around half were expected to see little change.
For some households facing an increase, the additional bill could have amounted to hundreds of pounds a year. The Government estimated that supporting those households through the transition could have cost up to £80 million in the first year alone.
Finance Minister Elin Jones told the Senedd that the decision followed detailed work over the summer examining the cost of implementation and the potential impact on households.
She said public finances were under significant pressure, particularly because of demands on the NHS and reduced funding expected from the UK Government.
The minister said delaying the revaluation did not mean the Welsh Government was abandoning its view that the current system was unfair. Instead, she said, the extra time would be used to consider more targeted ways of improving council tax without the same financial cost.
Legislation to defer the revaluation until the next Senedd term is due to be brought forward next month.
For homeowners and council tax payers across North Wales, the immediate position is unchanged. Existing council tax bands will remain in place while the Government considers its next steps, leaving the wider question of how to make the system fairer for households in areas with very different property markets unresolved.
