Cooke & Arkwright

Rating

Cooke & Arkwright has had a specialist rating department which has been providing advice to business ratepayers throughout the UK for over 70 years.

The department has grown substantially over the last 20 years due to the successful representation of clients’ interests in minimising rate liability. A small selection of our existing clients is detailed below:

8 Welsh Unitary Authorities
Greggs
Calsonic
Gwent Police
Cardiff Harbour Authority
International Rectifier
Cardiff University
Millennium Stadium
Christie Tyler
Citib@se
South Wales Fire Service
Eversheds
Welsh Rugby Union

Contact:

Andrew West MRICS IRRV Director
e-mail:

Jane Shankland MRICS Associate Director
e-mail:

David White LLB PGDipSurv MRICS Senior Surveyor
e-mail:

Tel: (029) 20 346346

News

For many commercial property occupiers business rates are a significant overhead. Consequently, it is vital that rating assessments are considered to ensure that rate liabilities are not excessive.

Cooke & Arkwright’s comprehensive rating advisory service includes the following:

Initial inspection/survey of the property
Valuation of the property to establish if an assessment is excessive
Advice as to the appropriateness of an appeal
Completion and submission of all appeal documentation
Reporting the timescale for appeal discussion to client
Negotiation with the Valuation Officer
Preparation and presentation of cases at Valuation Tribunal and Lands Tribunal as appropriate (subject to client agreement)
Liaison with Charging Authorities to ensure client rate refunds are dealt with expeditiously
Detailed report to client on conclusion of appeal including revised rate liability calculations
Advice on rate relief schemes, legislative changes, transitional relief
Budget rate liability forecast
Annual audit of rate bill to ensure correct calculation by Charging Authority
Completion of Valuation Office rent return forms.

Cooke & Arkwright’s approach ensures negotiations are conducted in a robust, professional manner. Cooke & Arkwright conforms to the requirements of the Rating Consultancy Code of Practice, a document produced jointly by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation and the Rating Surveyors Association.