North East Offices Celebrate Success
of Small Business Rates Relief
Case study:
Hedley McEwan | North East
Hedley McEwan is a family business that thrives on providing creating solutions for other businesses marketing objectives. No problem is too small for the team at the office of Hedley McEwan as their combined experience allows them to tackle client needs across a variety of platforms.
KEY
FACTS
20%
REDUCTION
£5,000
BACKDATED SAVINGS
Office
PROPERTY TYPE
The Challenge for the Client
As a forward-thinking business, Hedley McEwan had already engaged with a different business rates specialist and received a reduction. However, they were unaware that this reduction in turn could get them a further reduction, or that they were overrated on their business rates liability. As such, Hedley McEwan decided to engage with RVA Surveyors to see what more could be done. With RVA Surveyors ‘no reduction, no fee’ policy and an 85% success rate, this seemed like a no-brainer for the company.
The Solution
To initiate the process of identifying a reduction, RVA promptly dispatched an expert surveyor to conduct an on-site inspection. By gathering critical evidence—including detailed floor plans of the office space and rental data for both the property in question and comparable properties nearby—the surveyor began building a robust case.
During the inspection, the surveyor identified inaccuracies in the information held by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA). Notably, an area designated as a kitchen had been incorrectly assessed and overvalued as office space.
The Outcome
With this in mind, RVA Surveyors quickly lodged a Check (the first step in the Check, Challenge, Appeal, process).
The VOA responded quickly, and in agreement with RVA’s proposed revisions to the Rateable Value (RV). This meant that a 20% reduction was applied to Hedley McEwan’s RV, taking it from £12,500 to £10,000; resulting in a total saving of over £5,000 (backdated to 1st April 2017, and in effect until at least the 31st March 2023). This reduction meant also that they were also entitled to Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR).
Client Comments and Recommendation
“A very professional, unobtrusive service with good communication, and ultimately, a pleasing financial outcome. I would highly recommend RVA Surveyors.”
