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Cooke & Arkwright
News 2018 Issue 2
 

OBITUARY - THIRD EARL OF PLYMOUTH

It was with sadness that we learned that Other Robert Ivor Windsor-Clive, the third Earl of Plymouth, died peacefully at his home near Ludlow, Shropshire on 7th March 2018.

He and his family, through their estate businesses, Plymouth Settled Estates and Earl of Plymouth Estates Ltd, have been important and loyal clients of Cooke & Arkwright for over fifty years.

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Wales’ got talent

Cardiff's influence as a commercial capital is climbing. It's now ranked 36th globally as a 'city which successfully attracts and retains staff'. We are growing faster than any other UK city. Only London is ahead of us. We have the commercial property and infrastructure investment, new housing being delivered, and the stunning location. We are second to none in terms of quailty of life.

The region could play a major role in the long-term delivery of the new Government Property Agency's 'New Property Model'...

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Farmers urged to take business rates advice before diversifying

For a number of years farmers and landowners have been encouraged to diversify their businesses in order to improve income flow and boost profits. This has led many to invest in areas such as renewable energy from solar and wind power, as well as holiday accommodation, sport and recreation, racecourses and stables.

Now the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) has warned that some of these endeavours could risk removing their land or buildings from the agricultural exemption of business rates, potentially leading to large, backdated tax bills.

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Permitted development rights spur 'agritecture'

The UK Government has announced a further relaxation of Class Q Permitted Development Rights for agricultural buildings in England to boost housing supply in rural areas. Under the new rules, farmers may convert up to five agricultural buildings into family homes, subject to some controls and limitations. No equivalent Permitted Development Rights for agricultural buildings exist in Wales at the present time.

Chris Hyde, Associate Director with Land Agency said, "The new rights have given rise to a lot of interesting developments and so-called 'agritecture' is on the rise...

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Landmark ruling on landowners' rights in telecoms case

A recent High Court landmark decision has made clear that the Electronic Communications Code (Old Code) does not automatically protect telecoms operators from suit.

The ruling found in favour of a developer who was claiming damages against telecoms operators for breach of contract. The developer, who was converting an office building into residential ...

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Shock fall in business rate appeals since launch of new system

New figures published by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) show a disturbing fall in the number of business rate appeals lodged in England since the 2017 revaluation, compared to previous rating lists.

The drop in numbers coincides with the highly controversial Check Challenge Appeal (CCA) process, which was launched on 1 April 2017 despite universal business objections to many of its features. Now the stats published by the VOA ...

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Pontcanna offers significant development opportunity

A prime development site in the popular suburb of Pontcanna in Cardiff has been brought to the market. The former office building in Cathedral Road occupies a level, three-quarters-of-an-acre site and offers several development options for both residential and/or office use.

The location is second to none, within walking distance of the city centre...

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revaluation in england

In his Spring Statement 2018, the Chancellor announced that the next revaluation in England would be brought forward by one year to 2021. After this date, further revaluations will take place every three years in England, as announced in last year's Autumn Budget.

We do not know yet whether the Welsh Government will follow suit, but it is hard to imagine how Wales would operate a system out of sync with England. As a member of the RICS National Rating and Local Taxation Policy Panel and the Welsh Ratepayers Forum I have been lobbying for more regular revaluations to align more closely to current property values and maintain a fairer tax base.

Support for high streets

Welsh Government Finance Secretary, Mark Drakeford announced on 15th March 2018 that an extra £5m would be provided to extend the high street rates relief scheme in 2018-19. The scheme is unique to Wales and was intended for 2017-18 only.

It provides additional support to around 13,000 small and medium-sized high street businesses including shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs and wine bars.

This follows the decision to put the £100m small business rates relief scheme on a permanent footing from April 2018.

Andrew West, Director of Rating

 
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Cooke & Arkwright is a trading name of Cooke & Arkwright Ltd. Registered in England and Wales No 2618062. Cooke & Arkwright offer Retail, Office, Industrial, and Rural properties. Registered Office: 7/8 Windsor Place, Cardiff CF10 3SX. Cooke & Arkwright is regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
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