I just noticed a 'suggest a new: banner, icon, background image' tab on the homepage. Is that a new feature or has that always been there?

That's a new feature (for 1/2 months). All three are once useable per club. You can to suggest any of them and change that club's icon/banner/background or all 3 of them. It would take 5 ginto to suggest each of them. You also have to have 100 ginto for suggesting. After you suggest therd would a polk about that where others can add options. Same ginto rules goes here. Even those who want to vote in those presinto have to spend 5 golds and have to have at least 100 ginto with them.
:-P