The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) has dismissed an appeal seeking a reduction in the rating assessment of a shop in the Touchwood shopping centre in Solihull for the effects of the opening of the new Resorts World complex nearby in 2015. The Tribunal found that the ratepayer "had not achieved anything approaching the required level of evidence to show that there has been any effect on rental levels at Touchwood as a result of the opening of Resorts World". ...Read More

The Autumn Budget 2017 contains some good news for business ratepayers because the increase in business rates next year in England will be less than expected. The Chancellor has announced that business rates will be uplifted in line with CPI, rather than RPI, from next April. This is expected to reduce the Uniform Business Rate for small businesses next year from 48.4 pence to 48.0 pence, a reduction of about 1%. There were other business rates announcements that will be of interest to ratepayers over the longer term, but still no sign of real fundamental reform. ...Read More

The September 2017 Retail Prices Index (RPI) figure has been announced and shows a 3.9% increase over the previous year. This sets the upper limit by which next year's Uniform Business Rate (UBR) multiplier can increase in England and Wales. ...Read More

The Lands Tribunal for Northern Ireland has issued its decision in respect of a rating appeal relating to Belfast International Airport. The Tribunal has reduced the assessment of the airport from Net Annual Value ("NAV") £3,000,000 to NAV £2,300,000. The reduction in the assessment reflects allowances made by the Tribunal for overcapacity and for location and additional operating costs. ...Read More

Scottish Government has confirmed a number of reforms to the business rates system following recommendations of the Barclay review. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Derek Mackay, gave details of the proposed reforms and of a number of other recommendations made by the review that Scottish Government will consider implementing. The key change is to three-yearly revaluations from 2022 onwards. ...Read More