RVA Surveyors successfully appeals Business Rates for renowned manufacturer
Case study:
Valve Manufacturer | Cambridgeshire
Leading manufacturer of industrial valves used for domestic heating, air conditioning gas installations etc.
KEY
FACTS
£12,958
SAVINGS
Warehouse
PROPERTY TYPE
March ’26
REVIEW COMPLETED
The Client
Originating in Vienna, Austria, our client was founded in 1896 and is now a leading European manufacturer of industrial valves used in domestic heating, air conditioning, gas installations, and more.
Having expanded into the UK over 50 years ago, with locations in Peterborough and London, the company is now celebrating more than 130 years in business.
During the 2023 rating list, they appointed RVA Surveyors to conduct a detailed review of their Peterborough site, which they occupied in July 2021, to identify potential savings on their business rates.
The Problem
During the initial assessment, a Check case was deemed unlikely to produce results. However, our expert surveyor identified strong grounds for a Challenge. The property had a Rateable Value (RV) of £92,500, which did not align with the agreed rental value of £75,000. Additionally, the property had been placed on the wrong valuation scheme and because of this, also resulted in an inflated tone of £55/m².
When a Challenge was submitted to reduce the RV and tone, the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) rejected the case, maintaining that both the RV and tone were accurate based on their available data.
To justify their position, the VOA relied on rental evidence from three comparable properties, arguing that our client’s rent was “artificially low.” However, their evidence relied on properties with rents agreed or reviewed outside the Antecedent Valuation Date (AVD) of 1st April 2021, which formed the basis for rental values in the 2023 rating list.
One property’s rent had been agreed in 2018, another was based on a 2014 10-year lease with stepped payments whose average total was below our client’s RV, and the third showed a rent increase in 2022 despite being significantly lower at the Antecedent Valuation Date (AVD) of 1 April 2021. As the 2023 rating list is based on rental values at the AVD, we believed the evidence was not appropriate.
The Solution
Given these inconsistencies, RVA Surveyors progressed to the Appeal stage of the Check Challenge Appeal (CCA) process.
Our surveyor compiled comprehensive evidence including proof of the client’s agreed rental value, a detailed analysis of the VOA’s comparable properties, and a clear explanation of why the VOA’s reasons to reject the Challenge were not valid.
Crucially, we highlighted that the VOA had based their valuation on a tone of £55/m² introduced in April 2023, rather than the correct tone applicable in April 2021. With a strong case prepared, RVA Surveyors were ready to escalate the matter to the Valuation Tribunal.
The Outcome
Before the case reached the Valuation Tribunal, the VOA reviewed the evidence and returned to accept the Appeal. This resulted in a reduction in the Rateable Value from £92,500 to £80,000, alongside a corrected tone of £47.50/m².
The successful Appeal delivered historic savings of £12,958 and reduced the client’s liability in the current 2026 rating list. Importantly, without this intervention, the client’s RV would have increased to £105,000. Instead, it now stands at £88,000 remaining below the previously incorrect valuation.
