By Chris Enea - Caerleon resident.
Caerleon is the quintessential picturesque British town surrounded by rolling green hills, an olde-worlde central village, and a beautiful river flowing through its heart.
Geographically, Caerleon is separated from St.Julians by a two mile stretch of untouched fields on the flood plain of the River Usk. To the West, a steep hill along a notorious stretch of Pillmawr Lane again separates Caerleon from Malpas.
Maybe, because of its unique geographics, Caerleon retains its own charming character and a sense of natural identity that is separate from its bigger neighbour of Newport.
I’ve often heard from residents in Caerleon that we pay more for our council tax, but get very little in return in comparison to other areas in Newport?
Is our council tax money being fully reinvested back into Caerleon?
Council tax bandings.
To quickly explain. Council Tax bands in Wales are largely based on 1st April 2003 property values and are categorised as:-
Band A:- Up to £44,000
Band B:- £44,001 to £65,000
Band C:- £65,001 to £91,000
Band D:- £91,001 to £123,000
Band E:- £123,001 to £162,000
Band F:- £162,001 to £223,000
Band G:- £223,001 to £324,000
Band H:- £324,001 to £424,000
Band I:- more than £424,000
I should point out that the above is based on 2003 property valuations (not today’s valuations). Assessments are also based on a number of other factors, such as a property’s size, layout, character, location, etc.
The Rightmove website claims that an average house price in Caerleon is currently £241,531. That’s £37,240 more than in neighbouring St.Julians where the average house price is allegedly £204,291. It’s also £59,487 more than in Ringland where the average house price is allegedly £182,044.
Over the years, house prices in Caerleon have always been higher than in most areas of Newport.
Average Council Tax bands across Newport overall.
On its website, Newport Council states that most properties within the City are categorised as falling into the lower end tax bands of A to C.
Statistics from the Welsh Government for 2024/25 have revealed 39,073 properties in Newport fall into the tax bands of A to C. That’s 9,147 more than the 29,926 properties which fall into the higher tax bands of D to I.
In a further breakdown, the statistics also show Band C has the most number of dwellings with 17,843 properties across Newport.
Band B has the second highest number of dwellings with 14,688 properties.
A jump up to Band E reveals a drop in the number of dwellings to 8,210 properties. This drops further to 5,689 properties for Band F and 2,649 for Band G.
Do Caerleon residents pay more in Council Tax per property than the Newport average?
A recent freedom of information (FOI) request submitted to Newport Council has revealed the number of residential dwellings qualifying for the following tax bands:-
Totals below as at 21st March 2024:-
Band A:- 50
Band B:- 274
Band C:- 503
Band D:- 864
Band E:- 837
Band F:- 734
Band G:- 386
Band H:- 40
Band I:- 18
Total : 3706
It’s clearly evident that Bands D, E and F are - in fact - the most abundant tax bands in Caerleon. This is above the average for Newport which centres around Bands B and C.
Recent council tax rises in Caerleon.
Council tax has certainly risen sharply in recent times.
In the last five years we’ve seen some of the biggest council tax rises in living memory. Most noticeably in Caerleon we saw a 6.95% rise in 2020/21. There was an 8.5% rise last year in 2023/24. This has been followed by yet another 8.5% tax rise this year in 2024/25.
It’s interesting to note that just prior to the local council elections in 2022, the council tax rise was low at just 2.4%. Strange that.
Council tax rises in Caerleon in ‘real terms’ over seven years.
But what does all this mean in real terms? i.e. money.
Before the pandemic hit - in 2018/19 - a Band E property in Caerleon would have been paying £1,583.98 a year in council tax. The new council tax amount for a Band E property is now set at £2,257,39 a year (for 2024/25). That’s a percentage increase of 42.5% over a seven period. Ten monthly payments via d/d would now equate to £225.74 (although you can choose to spread it over 12 monthly payments to ease the burden).
Similarly in 2018/19, a Band G property in Caerleon would have been paying £2,159.97 a year in council tax. The new council tax amount for a Band G property is now set at £3078.26. That’s a percentage increase of 42.5%. Ten monthly payments via d/d would now equate to £307.83.
The highest tax band - Band I - would’ve been paying £3,023.95 in 2018/19. The new council tax amount for a Band I property is now set at £4309.58. Again, that’s a percentage increase of 42.5%. Ten monthly payments via d/d would now equate to £430.86. Interestingly, there are only 188 properties in all of Newport that fall into this category (18 in Caerleon).
The figures are truly eye watering.
A new partnership? A new future?
In the past few weeks, it was announced Newport City Council will be entering into a partnership with Caerleon’s two heritage organisations which already manage some of the town’s main tourist attractions.
Amgueddfa Cymru run the National Roman Legion Museum. Meanwhile Cadw oversees the maintenance of the Roman Fortress Baths and amphitheatre.
The purpose of the partnership is to ensure Caerleon’s heritage and assets are “recognised, promoted and managed for the benefit of residents and visitors in a collaborative way for the long term.”
I welcome the news of a new partnership between the council and the two major heritage organisations in Caerleon. But what does this partnership actually entail in terms of finer details? What issues will be addressed?
Is Caerleon paying more for less?
So, the statistics reveal that we are paying more in council tax in Caerleon in comparison to the Newport average.
Are we getting less? I suppose, this part is widely open to public speculation and debate. To find out, I recently conducted a ward inspection with fellow Caerleon resident and Conservative activist - Huw Davies.
At present, there is substantial road surface damage and potholes visible on the Broadway leading to the barracks and amphitheatre. In fact, all around the one-way system and key road arteries, there are potholes everywhere. The tarmac on Caerleon’s bridge has worn away in places to reveal the red under-surface.
The Labour council, in their wisdom, removed the only street cleaner in Caerleon for a team of part-time street cleaners. There is now an abundance of weeds and overgrown vegetation on Mill Street and Castle Street (by the Castle). Street litter is becoming more noticeable.
The signage at various locations around the village has ‘rusted away’ or has been damaged from vandalism. Of course, the public toilets on the High Street have long since vanished. The amphitheatre is now regularly closed due to bad weather.
What sort of message does this send out to tourists?
Other areas of Newport have seen the installation of brand new bus shelters. However, the bus shelters in Caerleon look old, dated and worn out. On transport, will our council throw its weight behind a new Railway Station for Caerleon? Will they finally start to relay our roads with new tarmac to rid the village of the endless amount of potholes.
Will the Roman barracks be protected with new fencing? Will any small pathways be installed around both the amphitheatre and the barracks? Will they install more street furniture around the area? Unless I’m mistaken, there are only three benches in the entire village for elderly residents and tourists i.e. in the memorial field.
Parking remains a problem in Caerleon and it’s getting worse. Will the small car park outside the amphitheatre remain free or will parking meters appear there also in years to come? Why not build a dedicated car park for tourists, visitors and parents of school children?
Sadly, years of under-investment by our local council has led to Caerleon being neglected in a lot of areas. Meanwhile, hundreds of new houses are being built in the area, especially at the Parc Y Coleg development (the old campus). Hundreds of new houses, but no new infrastructure?
Again, I welcome the news of a new partnership between the council and the two major heritage organisations in Caerleon. But one seriously has to wonder why this wasn’t being done already? Why haven’t our elected councillors sorted out many of the issues highlighted above?
This new partnership must deliver action - not words.
