business rates

[openspaceman]

Keep your head down, dont annoy anyone, keep it low key and get on with it. If no ones complaining keep it that way.

 

Yes that's what I was advising too, as long as we are talking business rates. The thing is it appears they cannot be backdated more than 1 year if a recent precedent stands, even if it does not at best they could claim 6 years so treequip's "fines" are OTT.

 

It's not even against the law to have no planning permission, worst case is they require you to put in for retrospective permission, assuming the building is already there and agricultural you would need either to prove it was still an agricultural use or that it was a valid use of the building in the absence of an agricultural use, you may even survive 10 years and justify a lawful use.

 

No one can be sure of the outcome of a planning inquiry, a barrister once told me in any civil judicial case there is only at best a 70% chance of winning what you want and this applies to both sides. At a recent public inquiry I attended it was plain the bloke presiding was put out by the objector (a local authority) not attending the inquiry such that he awarded an unfettered judgement to the appellant.

 

Once you go down the planning route the firewood production would mean the building use was B2 and it would be rated by VOA, the rateable value is the notional rent compared with other B2 buildings locally and the rate will be 40-50% of this which you would have to pay, unless entitled to rate relief.

 

If you use the argument that there is no agricultural need then even when the building is no longer used it will attract a rate and this is what will put an agricultural landlord off.

 

I do agree with Treequip that the consequences of building a business up being dependant on not having to pay rates should be considered.

[openspaceman]

Do you know what those circumstances are ?

 

I have a fair idea and I posted it in an earlier reply in this thread. Nothing is guaranteed however, see my last post, so each case would need to be considered individually and a land agent is the person qualified to advise, I am not qualified to do so, if I were I wouldn't be writing on a public forum.

[Brett]

surely as a small business you would be entitled to 100% rate relief anyway? amusing this is your only base of operation.