19th July 2021
15th July 2021
WHSmith wins court case over covid rent reduction trigger
WH Smith Retail Holdings Ltd-v-Commerz Real Investmentgesellshaft MBH (25 March 2021) By Stuart Hicks, Director. Winchester County Court has enforced tenant-friendly triggers relating to a pandemic rent suspension clause in the case of WH Smith... Continue reading
30th June 2021
Govt’ consultation launched on rates’ revaluation changes
The Government is seeking feedback on plans to increase the frequency of business rates revaluations. The Treasury yesterday started a consultation on the measures which could see revaluations take place every three years instead of the... Continue reading 29th June 2021
Unpaid business rate debt in England reaches £2.5bn
A debt mountain of almost £2.5bn of unpaid business rates is crushing English firms, according to new data out this week. With businesses forced to shut shop for long periods over the various lockdowns, debt... Continue reading
14th June 2021
Calls for further business rates relief as lockdown extension looks inevitable
The government is facing calls to extend economic support including business rates relief if the 21 June ‘unlocking’ date is delayed, as expected, today. Labour’s Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband has warned hospitality will be... Continue reading
4th June 2021
Business rate relief changes after June 30
The retail and hospitality sector will be nervously eyeing up June 30th after planned changes to business rate reliefs come into effect for a post-pandemic restart. In the March budget chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the... Continue reading 26th May 2021
Northern Ireland – Rating changes
The rate poundages for the current rate year have been released and can be viewed here. It is not good news for business rate payers with only three councils either freezing or reducing their poundages,... Continue reading
14th May 2021
Supreme Court verdict – Hurstwood v Rossendale rates avoidance scheme
Hurstwood Properties & Others v Rossendale BC & Another [2021] EWCA Civ 364 Here the rates avoidance scheme involved granting a short lease of the unoccupied property to a special purpose vehicle (“SPV”), such that... Continue reading 13th May 2021