Business Rates to be devolved in England

Significant barriers to reducing rate bills at this time

27 November 2015

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In his Comprehensive Spending Review on Wednesday 25 November 2015, Chancellor George Osborne announced that local authorities in England will be allowed to keep the rates they collect from business and they will have the power to cut business rates to boost growth. By the end of the Parliament, local government will retain 100% of business rate revenues to fund local services. Business Rates have already been devolved to Wales.

Andrew West, Director of Rating said, “Councils already have discretionary power to reduce rate bills, but in my experience, they all too rarely do so. I can see significant financial barriers to councils reducing rate bills at a time of substantial cuts to public sector budgets.”

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Cooke & Arkwright have been providing Newport City Council with rating advice for over 20 years. Andrew, Jane and Huw provide a personal and professional service and have an excellent knowledge of the Council’s assets which has enabled the Council to achieve substantial rate savings. A useful service offered is the status report which provides us with a snapshot of what appeals have been made and appeals outstanding throughout the life of the List. I would recommend Cooke & Arkwright Rating Services to any company wishing to procure up-to-date and professional rating advice.

Eirian Jones, Estates Team Leader, Newport Norse