Brecon Beacons National Park, a place to value

28 August 2019

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Cooke & Arkwright’s Land Agency and Valuation departments have been instructed by the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority (BBNPA) to undertake an asset valuation in 2019 of all properties within their ownership. Set across seven separate local authorities, and comprising of assets including thousands of acres of mountain moorland, waterfalls, car parks, woodland, as well as Craig-y-Nos Country Park and the Brecon Beacons National Park Visitor Centre at Libanus.

Chris Hyde, Associate Director with Land Agency said, “This is a particularly interesting instruction thanks to the huge diversity of assets within the BBNPA’s portfolio. It includes Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), numerous iron-age hill forts and even a hydro-electric scheme. As a bonus, it’s a truly beautiful part of the world in which to work.”

In addition to the valuation, Cooke & Arkwright have been awarded a call-off contract to provide on-going Land Agency advice to the BBNPA.

Chris added, “With such a huge area to cover, there are numerous issues raised in respect of all manner of property matters and we will be hot-desking at the BBNPA’s offices in Brecon on a regular basis in order to assist them with the management of their portfolio.”

The Brecon Beacons National Park covers 520 square miles and extends from Llandeilo and Llandovery in the west to Abergavenny in the east, and north to Hay-on-Wye in mid-Wales. Almost 14% of the park is owned by the NPA and about 250,000 people use the three Visitor Centres each year. The park was designated an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2012.

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Cooke & Arkwright have been providing rating valuation advice to The Welsh Rugby Union Limited (“WRU”) and Millennium Stadium plc for many years. They were recently successful in achieving substantial reductions in the assessments of the Millennium Stadium, covering both the 2005 and 2010 rating list. These negotiated reductions yielded savings of c.£3.5m which, crucially, allows the WRU to re-invest in rugby throughout Wales. They advise the WRU across the group portfolio including the National Centre of Excellence in the Vale of Glamorgan. The valuation issues across the WRU portfolio are complex requiring a high level of understanding of the funding and finances of professional sport in Wales. Cooke & Arkwright’s experience and understanding of these issues and application to the rating valuation have yielded these substantial negotiated reductions. The WRU and the Millennium Stadium entrust our work to organisations with the required levels in experience and expertise in dealing with these complex issues. I am glad to say we have this expertise in Wales. I would have no hesitation in recommending ratepayers making use of this Welsh based expertise.

The Welsh Rugby Union Limited, Welsh Rugby Union Group