Business Rates on Hard Standing for e.g. Caravan / Container Storage

[Robert]

Can anyone give me an indication roughly what the business rates would be on e.g. an old open concrete (ex silage clamp area) for storage use, and also hard standing yard areas (e.g. road planing finish). Thinking either caravans or shipping containers - would the entirety of the area be rated, or just the zones with something physically on them and the access zones treated differently? Any experience appreciated. South East. Thanks

 

[Courier]

Every Local Authority seems to have a different interpretation of the rules - Some will turn a blind eye because they know that if the rateable venture fails then re-classification to "Brownfield" may be a possibility

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Can anyone give me an indication roughly what the business rates would be on e.g. an old open concrete (ex silage clamp area) for storage use, and also hard standing yard areas (e.g. road planing finish). Thinking either caravans or shipping containers - would the entirety of the area be rated, or just the zones with something physically on them and the access zones treated differently? Any experience appreciated. South East. Thanks

i don’t want to hear the answer, nor do many others I reckon!

keep it small and away from prying eyes and hope for the best!

 

[Robert]

i don’t want to hear the answer, nor do many others I reckon!

keep it small and away from prying eyes and hope for the best!

Unfortunately i've been made to declare some so i just wanted an idea of what to expect from someone who has already gone through that whole formalisation process with the Valuations Officer Agency etc - there must be someone on here who can offer some insight? Thanks

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Unfortunately i've been made to declare some so i just wanted an idea of what to expect from someone who has already gone through that whole formalisation process with the Valuations Officer Agency etc - there must be someone on here who can offer some insight? Thanks

I wound be interested to know the outcome of this.

i have done some digging on the gov business website, a container storage area near us is here

that's about 39p / ft2 so around here around 1/3rd of the rental value

 

[chaffcutter]

Isn’t there still a small business exemption from business rates?

 

[Steevo]

I wound be interested to know the outcome of this.

i have done some digging on the gov business website, a container storage area near us is here

that's about 39p / ft2 so around here around 1/3rd of the rental value

Just checked something locally to here too - £1.50/sqm. Similar sized area, similar description.

 

[Steevo]

Isn’t there still a small business exemption from business rates?

Yes. Less than £12,500 rateable value I believe.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Yes. Less than £12,500 rateable value I believe.

at the moment! god knows what will happen in the longer term

Just checked something locally to here too - £1.50/sqm. Similar sized area, similar description.

how come you are so much cheaper!? What the going market rent equivalent in your area?

 

[Steevo]

at the moment! god knows what will happen in the longer term



how come you are so much cheaper!? What the going market rent equivalent in your area?

Rent for hard standing or caravan storage?

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Either really

 

[Dry Rot]

I had a very interesting chat with a ratings valuer many years ago. The discussion revolved around the valuation of my house + garage and the valuation of my house without the garage. The surveyor claimed that I had a garage. I claimed that I did not have a garage. What he wanted to call a garage was in fact a neep shed. If I used it to house my car, where would I put my neeps?

I eventually won but it was all good humoured and a dram or two of a local beverage loosened his tongue. Apparently, he had grossly over valued a local hotel and to his amazement the owner had not challenged his valuation. That, apparently, had made his day. Thereby hangs a moral. A valuation is merely an opinion. An opinion based on evidence. Show that there is no demand for hard standing locally and no one would pay a rent for it and the rateable value is nil. Q.E.D. Sadly, the local valuation officer will produce evidence to show that it does have a value so it is up to the OP to prove him wrong.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

I had a very interesting chat with a ratings valuer many years ago. The discussion revolved around the valuation of my house + garage and the valuation of my house without the garage. The surveyor claimed that I had a garage. I claimed that I did not have a garage. What he wanted to call a garage was in fact a neep shed. If I used it to house my car, where would I put my neeps?

I eventually won but it was all good humoured and a dram or two of a local beverage loosened his tongue. Apparently, he had grossly over valued a local hotel and to his amazement the owner had not challenged his valuation. That, apparently, had made his day. Thereby hangs a moral. A valuation is merely an opinion. An opinion based on evidence. Show that there is no demand for hard standing locally and no one would pay a rent for it and the rateable value is nil. Q.E.D. Sadly, the local valuation officer will produce evidence to show that it does have a value so it is up to the OP to prove him wrong.

there lies the problem here. It’s hardly A bad problem but impossible to argue lack of demand.

speaking to a director of a national firm today, he told me they launched a new business park in the area, his deal with owners was payment once HOT were signed For all the units.

he has sent in his full invoice less than a week after being instructed. Everyone seems to be fleeing the cities as well

 

[George from SJM Planning]

Another consideration is the need for Planning Permission for Change of Use.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Another consideration is the need for Planning Permission for Change of Use.

is that now 10 yrs, up from 7?

 

[George from SJM Planning]

is that now 10 yrs, up from 7?

Sorry I don't understand.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Sorry I don't understand.

sorry, to get planning by default?

 

[George from SJM Planning]

sorry, to get planning by default?

Ah, to be exempt from enforcement it must have had a change of use for in excess of 10 years. But be careful, just because it has been there for 10 years it doesn't automatically get a change of use, all it means is that you can no longer be enforced against. To make it a formal change of use you would need to submit an application for a Lawful Use Certificate based on the fact that it is unenforceable.