Tax re-banding

On this occasion it was Anne McIntosh publicising a Tory report, but there will be others if and when the Government progresses its plans for England.

This letter is about the mathematics of council tax banding, not the politics. Banding is only an approximate mechanism to rank households relative to each other. It has no significance in absolute terms.

The key point we all need to remember is that re-banding, of itself, does not and cannot change the average sum that a council needs to raise from each council tax payer. If an imaginary council needed to raise £10m from 10,000 households, then the average bill would be £1,000 before re-banding and still £1,000 after re-banding.

Re-banding will certainly change the way the monies are distributed around that average, but that is all. There will be some winners and some losers, just as there were when the original bands were set. But neither the winners nor the losers will face percentage changes as great as claimed in last week's report.

Property revaluation will undoubtedly cause more households to be in higher bands and fewer in lower bands. But, directly as a consequence, every council will be obliged to lower the value of each band in response (assuming that the percentage difference between band values remains unchanged). If it did not, it would raise too much money (perish the thought).

In a hypothetical case, if everybody's property value had precisely doubled, we would all find ourselves in much higher bands - but then nobody's council tax bill would change by a penny, since we would all have stood still relative to each other.

In mathematical terms, revaluation every 20-25 years or so is therefore no more than a welcome correction designed to keep the overall pain shared out fairly.

TOM BANFIELD

Bridge End,

Thornton-le-Beans.

Equal pay burden

Sir, - The Government requires local authorities to keep council tax rises to five per cent. So before setting the final budget all areas of possible savings and opportunities for income generation must be considered.

What we are doing at Redcar and Cleveland Council is implementing equal pay for female workers. This will account for 4.5pc of the final rise.

I believe that the majority of the public will agree that this should have been done by the previous administration . They chose not to, in order to attempt to bribe the electorate with "no council tax rises".

Coun George Dunning predicted in council that the rise would be 12pc. He must base this on his knowledge of the state of affairs left by the Labour administration. In only nine months the council coalition's stringent financial management has meant that the rise will be much lower.

However, difficult choices have to be made. What I can say is that the coalition will make decisions based on the desires and needs that people express and what we believe to be in the best interests of the whole borough.

Obviously, not every one will be content, but we will be open and transparent. that is why we have put these contentious issues in the public domain.

Coun VALERIE HALTON

Cabinet member for Health and Social Services,

Redcar and Cleveland Council.

Still waiting

Sir, - We finally thought that the pathway between Spennithorne and Harmby would be lit during the dark winter months - we are still waiting.

A petition was presented to Richmondshire District Council two years ago to install lights to help parents and pupils from Harmby walk to and from school safely during the dark mornings and afternoons of winter.

The project was accepted and to our delight lights were installed during the Autumn. The process was quick and efficient with little disruption.

However, the clocks went back and we still had no light. The electrical supply was finally connected at the beginning of January.

We now wait with baited breath, but still no light - no light bulbs have been installed.

A quick call revealed that Richmondshire District Council was no longer responsible for the project and the supply of bulbs was now in the hands of North Yorkshire County Council.

The latest news is that we will be getting bulbs soon, but not until a number have been thoroughly tested to find out which is the most cost-effective.

As the days begin to lengthen, let's hope that the bulb issue is resolved and a decision made in time for next winter.

TANIA DEACON

Harmby.

Mystery solved

Sir, - I can solve the mystery (Spectator's Notes, D&S Jan 23) of the Eaglescliffe Hall.

She was one of a set of Canadian great lakes vessels built by Smith's Dock at South Bank in 1928/9 for the Hall Corporation based in Montreal. She came out in April 1928, only 258 ft 6" long to fit the locks in the system.

The only criticism with this class of vessel was that they were slightly underpowered.

She returned to UK waters in World War Two to join our coastal fleet which accounts for her being bombed by German aircraft off Sunderland in February 1941.

She survived the war and returned to Canada for further trading. Quite an epic in itself.

RAYMOND COUNTER

Teesside branch of the World Ship Society

Roseberry Crescent,

Great Ayton.