The Beattie Partnership have been successful in establishing that business centres are valued differently to offices and in the process have secured substantial savings for their Client.
The Appeal
The Beattie Partnership appealed against the rateable value of the business centre at Gatwick Airport on behalf of United Business Centres. As the Valuation Office would not accept the appeal the matter was referred to the Valuation Tribunal and ultimately the Lands Tribunal.
The Case
Whether a business centre is in the same mode and category of use as offices. The Beattie Partnership argued that as a Business Centre is a different use, the rent payable and the existing lease were better evidence of value than the tone of value for offices.
The Decision
The Lands Tribunal agreed with our view that a different “mode and category of occupation” should be considered and that the Business Centre should be valued on a separate basis.
