Business rates - Vacant commercial property

[simontrent]

A friend's ceased trading from his commercial property a few years back. He rented the property to a similar business but they have now gone into liquidation. The property (carpenter's workshop) now remains vacant.

He is considering selling the site for potential development "back" to residential. The business rates are now due from April this year. He is thinking of flattening the site to make it more appealling to a potential developer (it is currently very specific to this industry). If he does this, will business rates still be due whilst he advertising for sale?

Thanks

[curley]

Personally I wouldn't flatten it until there was a clear exit route .You might save a bit of rates in the short term but could compromise the redevelopment potential .

I have just completed a large development near the Excell Center in London . We kept the existing facade because if we had demolished the existing building the planners would only let us go up 5 storeys to align with the other buildings in the street . By keeping the existing facade we managed to get planning for 8 storeys and another 24 flats !!


Get planning for alternative use and maximise the development return that way before the site is put up for sale . ( or PM me and sell it cheap quickly to avoid some rates ! )

[surveyor]

An alterantive is to use for storage for 6 weeks, after the 3 month rent free period has expired. this resets it.

ETA workshop = QIH = 6 month rates free, not 3.

[ellroy]

I did hear recently that taking the roof off accomplished the effect of not being rateable, but i'm, sure there's more to it than this.

[PurpleMoonlight]

Wont planning permission be required to demolish?

[AB]

Answering the question, empty rates wouldn't be payable.