FOI request (FOIR-295373001)

Complete Non-Residential / Business Property Rates Data (Q4 2020)

Requested Wed 13 January 2021
Responded Tue 13 April 2021

In terms of the Freedom of Information Act of 2000, and subject to section 40(2) on personal data, could you please provide me with your local authority's complete and most-recently updated list of all business (non-residential) property rates data, including the following fields:

1. Billing Authority Property Reference Code (linking the property to the public VOA database reference);

2. Firm's Trading Name (that is property occupant or ratepayer);

3. Full Property Address (Number, Street, Postal Code, Town);

4. Occupation / Vacancy status;

5. Date of Occupation / Vacancy; and

6. Actual annual rates charged (in Pounds) and/or categories of reliefs/exemptions granted.

If you are unable to provide an absolute 'Occupation / Vacancy' status, please provide the Exemptions and / or Reliefs that a particular property may be receiving.

NOTE: While FOIs are meant to be requestor blind, these data are actively used by national government and UK universities to inform the economic response to COVID-19. Commercial ratepayer data are always of public interest but, in the midst of a global pandemic and its consequent devastating economic fallout, these data are vital to track business behaviour and guide government and enterprise adaptation to the social impact of COVID-19. Please publish quickly so that organisations trying to support your local authority can do so, and, if you have any difficulties, please contact me so that I may help.

Please provide these data as machine-readable as either a CSV or Microsoft Excel file, capable of re-use, and under terms of the Open Government Licence (reuse for any and all purposes, including commercial).

Response

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding. The department that held the information were heavily involved with COVID-19 grants which had to take priority.

Please see attached spreadsheets.