Garden database could mean council tax rise
If your council tax bills already seem extortionate there could be more bad news courtesy of a government database.
Officials at the Valuation Office Agency have put together the Geographical Information System which records the details of every garden in England, including information on shared driveways and the size of passages beside end-of-terrace houses.
The database will enable councils to set taxes according to how good your view is or how big your garden is and that will inevitably mean a rise in the annual bill.
Information is still be gathered but is expected to be available in July. Officials currently believe that they have incorrect data for more than one in ten gardens in the UK and the £3.4 million database will enable true valuations of each and every house and flat to be made.
Swimming pools, conservatories, summer houses and nearby parks could all mean a rise in council tax should Labour return to power as they plan to revalue homes across England.
Since the last time a full-scale revaluation took place was in 1991, many would suffer significant increases should such a plan come to fruition.
A VOA spokesman told the Daily Mail: "The system has been acquired to support the current work of the VOA, as we have a statutory duty to maintain accurate council tax and rating lists."
Though a Labour victory looks unlikely, with the information available, the door will be open for revaluation and, consequently, higher council taxes whichever party should come to power.
