The Challenge

• LSH were instructed by a multi-national engineering corporation to negotiate and reduce rateable value (RV) assessments in respect of properties within the client's national portfolio, ensuring the rates liability was kept to a minimum. 
• Business rates in respect of the property (an office building in Warrington) represented a significant occupational cost which the client needed to eradicate during the course of the works. 
• As the works were undertaken in two stages (landlord strip out and tenant fit out), there was a challenge to reduce the assessment to RV£0 during the works, given the Value Office Agency (VOA)'s interpretation of case law. Given the date of the works, the assessments in both the 2010 and 2017 Rating Lists were impacted.

Our Solution

• A detailed submission was made on behalf of the client to the VOA, setting out the grounds for the desired outcome. Supporting documentation included detailed and costed scheme of works, Gantt chart and photographic evidence. 
• LSH challenged the VOA in relation to their interpretation of case law in respect of this particular area of rating.

The Results

• LSH's extensive experience in negotiations of this nature allowed us to achieve savings in excess of £350,000 for our client as the rateable values were reduced from RV£690,000 to RV£0 in the 2010 Rating List and RV£620,000 to RV£0 in the 2017 Rating List.
• LSH continue to advise the client in respect of he national portfolio on the 2017 Rating List.