28 November 2001
As part of its drive to encourage ratepayers to play an active
part in the way their properties are valued for rating, the Valuation
Office Agency (VOA) has set up pilot local ratepayer forums in south
west England and north Wales.
There are four forums in all - two in Wales covering Wrexham and
Flintshire and Anglesey and Gwynedd, both launched in November.
The third, covering Somerset (Administrative) County and the fourth
Plymouth and its environs were launched in October. The memberships
comprise local business people and their representative associations
such as chambers of commerce.
Bruce Jones, VOA director of modernisation said, 'When the VOA
sets rateable values for businesses, we have to take into account
many local factors. So, it is only right that local ratepayers should
have a direct say in how this is done. After all, rates are a significant
part of the costs of a business'.
He also explained that the VOA wanted to demystify the whole rating
process, 'That way, we believe that ratepayers will start to have
more confidence in the rating assessments we calculate for them.
Over time, we also believe that ratepayers will want to spend less
valuable time making appeals against their assessments.'
Following the launches, the first meetings of the forums will take
place in December and January. The members will be involved in deciding
the frequency of meetings, the agendas and whether the memberships
should be broadened to include other members of the local business
communities.
One forum member Colin Burman, Chairperson of the Ellesmere, Chester
& North Wales Chamber of Commerce said "the forum is an
excellent opportunity for small businesses to gain a better understanding
of the rating system. The benefits should, in the long term, be
a more user friendly system and hopefully will remove any need to
appeal against what at the moment may be perceived as an unfair
valuation".
Once the effectiveness of the pilots has been assessed, the Valuation
Office will decide whether to set up further forums in other parts
of England and Wales
The pilot local forums build on the consultative work already being
done at national level through the National Ratepayers' Valuation
Forum (NRVF).
End
Notes for editors
1. Forum members include:
- Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation
- Wales Tourism Board
- Country Land & Business Association
- Licensed Victualler's Association
- Beddgelert Tourism Committee
- Country Land and Business Association
- Federation of Small Businesses
- Porthmadog Chamber of Commerce
- British Retail Consortium
- Canol Gerdd Williams Mathias CYF
- Amlwch Chamber of Trade
- British Homes and Holiday Parks Association
- Bangor Chamber of Trade
- Beaumaris Chamber of Trade and Tourism
- Holyhead Chamber of Trade and Tourism
- Angelsey Tourism Association
- 100% Caernarfon
- Boots plc
- Halifax plc
- Mold Business Forum
- Reece Associates
- Wrexham CBC
- Connah's Quay Town Centre Manager
- North Wales Chamber of Commerce
- Wrexham Chamber of Trade
2. The Valuation Office is an executive agency
of the Inland Revenue. Its main business is to value property in
England and Wales for the purpose of rates and council tax. In September
2000, the agency launched a transformation strategy by which it
undertook the lead in modernising rating valuation and for encouraging
a general move away from the appeals culture among ratepayers.
3. The National Ratepayer's Valuation Forum (NRVF),
established is made up of representatives of business associations
and ratepayers. Working with the VOA the NRVF aims to help make
rating valuation more accessible to the business ratepayer and provides
a means of direct dialogue between the VOA and ratepayers.
4. Most non-domestic property has a rateable value
upon which rates are charged at an amount in the £ of rateable
value set by the Government. The rateable value is assessed independently
by the Valuation Office Agency and in broad terms represents a professional
evidence-based view of the annual rent that would be paid for a
property if it were available on the open market at a fixed valuation
date.
Rateable values are a key factor in the calculation of business
rates. They are not the rates bill. The amount charged per £
of rateable value, or multiplier is set by the Government. Local
Authorities are responsible for calculating rates bills and collecting
rates, the amount of which can be influenced by a number of factors
including transitional relief.
For further information
VOA web-site: www.voa.gov.uk
Media enquiries: 0207 506 1927
email: claire.carvello@voa.gsi.gov.uk
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