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These Instructions and Advice were prepared for internal use within the Valuation Office Agency as part of work towards a council tax revaluation in England that was due to take effect on 1 April 2007. The government announced its intention to postpone the revaluation on 20th September 2005 and preparatory work for a revaluation in 2007 has now been stopped.
This IA contains the procedural instructions referred to in IT IA 100402.
In readiness for the forthcoming Council Tax Revaluations, the dwellinghouse
details that can be attached to a domestic property record have been expanded
from three codes (group/type/area) to ten, as described in IT
IA 100402.
1.2 It is not expected at this stage that any bulk inputting of these
additional codes will commence, nor is completion of any of the fields mandatory.
Thus, the fields can be completed in a progressive manner during current
work practices, for example, through CT appeals and maintenance work.
For the avoidance of doubt the three codes (group/type/area) must be completed
and input in accordance with existing instructions.
1.3 It is ultimately planned to move to an electronic record for CT
work and this form of coding will become an integral part of the information
which is then stored.
1.4 It is likely that individuals will hold a variety of views concerning
more detailed coding, but in developing the extended coding, a balance had
to be struck which reflects the broad parameters which in the future should
be able to drive an electronic valuation system, whilst providing recognisable
codes which determine the main value-significant factors for the majority
of properties.
It is not expected that every exceptional or unique characteristic will
be covered by the coding. It should also be noted that a characteristic
which is value-significant in one part of the country may not be in another.
The details as captured must be universal throughout the Agency.
1.5 Most Groups continue to code domestic properties through the PD
process and best practice suggests that the weekly domestic summary reports
(generated by COVO Project Team as an item on the Calendar of Overnight
of Overnight Batch Generations) are output to hardcopy and used to identify
properties that require the input of coding. It is suggested that where
this process is readily maintained and the extended coding can be accessed
without additional effort, Groups may consider inputting the extended coding.
The new facility for bulk inputting may assist in this activity.
1.6 One new code is Valuation Grouping. This has been created to define
value-significant areas or neighbourhoods. Whilst this field has been developed
to assist in creating sublocations and scales in the future, it is not expected
at this stage that Groups will undertake extra work to define these neighbourhoods.
However, there are a few locations that have reported that their original
parcels (as formed for the CT Initial Banding Exercise) have continued to
provide useful value-significant areas and as such they will have a well-defined
process still based upon this delineation. In such instances, it may be
appropriate to enter such coding during current work, but this must be agreed
within the Group and should not divert resources from other priority tasks.
1.7 The red binder entitled "Dwellinghouse
Coding - an illustrative guide" has been updated to deal with the
new codes. Now available on the VOA intranet site, accessed from the main
homepage via the drop down menu, or the Council Tax Homepage.
2. Action in Groups
2.1 When the additional coding items are readily available they should
be input to replace the "default" record (the one created for
every domestic property with the heating field already filled with "Y")
or added to existing codes already captured. Where there are limitations
as to what is acceptable for a field, a List of Values can be accessed by
pressing <F7> when in that field. The capturing of one or more
items will create a "true" record.
It is not expected that there will be any need to separately record the
additional codes on the dwellinghouse survey sheets (or equivalent), but
that they will be readily obtainable from reading the survey.
2.2 There is no requirement to complete all the available fields at
the same time. One or more fields can be completed at any one inputting
session.
2.3 At this stage, it is expected that most details will be input on
an individual basis, usually through the Council Tax and the Property Transactions
applications. BATlinks apply to these applications and this restriction
is carried through to the dwellinghouse codes screen.
2.4 BATlinks also apply to the Bulk Dwellinghouse Codes (CT Reval) menu
option in Property Details. Occasionally it may be more advantageous to
input details using this option where there are a number of records available
for inputting for neighbouring dwellings. As the momentum of the CT Revaluations
grows, it is possible that this option will be used more frequently, but
any precise instructions will be the subject of future IAs.
2.5 It must be noted that where a "default" record is brought
to screen and a "true" record is then created with an earlier
effective date, on "re-querying" that address using the Bulk dwelling
House Codes (CT Reval) facility, the "default" record (the latest)
will be displayed until the weekly deletion of superfluous "default"
records is run by COVO. All other screens and outputs which display the
latest set of property details for an address (eg the selected address screen)
will be similarly affected.
2.6 Extreme care needs to be taken when inputting details directly using
the Individual Property Details menu option of the Property Details application.
BATlinks do not apply to this option; therefore dwellinghouse codes can
be input against any domestic address anywhere.
2.7 Historically it is known that there has been some confusion about
the correct Group code to be used for dwellings converted from agricultural
buildings, barns and similar buildings. These should carry the correct code
for country cottages (usually 02) with an appropriate ORIGINAL age code.
The conversion can now be reflected in the Modernisation code adopted (see
paragraph 3.7 below). 99 should only be used for one-off conversions which
have their own unique characteristics.
2.8 One further Group is being added to Property Details. This is Group 62, to be used for flats and similar accommodation within retirement complex blocks, such as that being constructed by McCarthy & Stone. This will normally have some shared facilities such as a residents’ lounge, warden facilities and communal maintained gardens. It is hoped that this will be ‘on line’ very shortly.
3. Information relating to the additional codes
3.1 The age code is self-explanatory and where necessary should be obtained by converting the existing age shown on the survey sheet into the code. For dwellings formed from converted agricultural buildings (and similar), the age code appropriate is to be that applicable to the original building (usually "A"). This is qualified by the input of an entry in the Mod field. This advice also applies to houses converted to form flats and maisonettes.The age code also acts as a differentiating characteristic within wide Groups, such as Group 31, where an estate dwelling built in 1955 bears little resemblance to one erected in 2002.
3.2 Valuation Grouping is dealt with in paragraph 1.6 above. For most locations, this field should remain blank at present.
3.3 Parking is self-explanatory. Triple (and larger) garages should be input as double garages (DG). Carport structures should not be included. The "off-street" marking may refer to either a designated parking space in a parking lot nearby, the concreting-over of the front garden with vehicular access, or anything between. A garage "not within the curtilage" of the dwelling, but which nevertheless is in the same occupation or ownership as the dwelling and would be included in the sale price if the property was sold, should be reflected in the code.Leaving the field blank indicates that there is no parking whatsoever available for the dwelling. The presence of yellow lines (double or single) outside is not to be recorded.
3.4 Heating defaults to "Y" and should only be overwritten with "N" when it is known for certain that there is no central heating (partial or full) within a dwelling. It is not possible to leave this field blank.
3.5 The number of rooms must include all living rooms, separate dining rooms, studies, bedrooms and boxrooms. Kitchens, utilities and bathrooms, and dining areas within other rooms should be excluded.
3.6 The number of bathrooms should include all separate bathrooms, and shower rooms (including en-suites) where there are at least three fitments. Separate WCs (with or without washbasins) should not be counted.
3.7 The modernisation code should be completed for work carried out since 1980 only. Earlier modernisation should be disregarded for this field. Modernisation is deemed to be full-scale value-significant work only, and not solely the addition of a bathroom (where this was previously not available), or the installation of new window frames.
April 2002
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