Cooke & Arkwright
News
County Hall wins rebate
10/03/09
Cooke & Arkwright’s Rating Department has won a substantial reduction on the original 2000 rating assessments at County Hall, Croesyceiliog in Cwmbran, amounting to a combined rebate worth £450,000 to the occupiers, principally Torfaen County Borough Council, Monmouthshire County Council and Monitor Facilities Management Ltd
The 20% reduction was awarded at Valuation Tribunal and related to the 2000 Rating List, which took effect for the 5 year period from 1st April 2000.
Andrew West, director in charge of rating at Cooke & Arkwright said, “We successfully argued that the building was in substantial disrepair and the repairs had become uneconomic: the landlord wouldn’t spend the many millions of pounds required prior to its demolition.”
The building will be demolished within the next few years after the occupiers have relocated to alternative accommodation. The Tribunal accepted that County Hall suffered from substantial structural defects, specifically with regard to the use of defective materials in the original construction in the 1970s. The works required were extensive enough to defeat the normal rating assumption that a building is in repair, even if it isn’t, resulting in substantial reductions in the rating assessments.
Barrie Pearson, Head of Revenues, Exchequer & ICT at Monmouthshire County Council said, “We are naturally pleased to secure this substantial reduction which can be used to help meet the increasing costs of providing vital services for local taxpayers.”
Garth Brookfield, director of Monitor Facilities, which was set up to manage County Hall and comprises representatives of Monmouthshire and Torfaen Councils, said, “We consider that a 20% reduction is a very significant achievement. We greatly appreciate the hard work that Mr West and his colleagues have carried out to achieve this outcome and for the thorough approach and professionalism adopted. It was clearly instrumental in achieving such a success on behalf of the ratepayers.”
Mr West is now seeking an increased reduction on behalf of the occupiers for the 2005 rating assessments at County Hall, due to increased deterioration over time.
Pictured l to r: Barrie Pearson, Monmouthshire CC; Andrew West, Cooke & Arkwright; Garth Brookfield, Monitor Facilities; Robert Flower, Torfaen CC