Preschool within church building

[Tiddles01]

Hi can anyone help!  We are about to sign a license to open a new preschool within a church building and have conflicting info on Buiness rates payable!  Do we pay buiness rate if we are not exclusive users of the property and also have a short term license?  Help and advice needed thanks in advance 

Edited November 12, 2019 by Tiddles01

[finleysmaid]

do you mean a lease or a licence?

[sunnyday]

Hi and welcome to the forum 

I'm intrigued - who is telling you that you need to pay business rates?

My thoughts - I am in a Community building, if I had to pay business rates on top of my rent, I couldn't possibly afford it......

[Mouseketeer]

We never paid rates separately when we ran from a village hall, I presumed an element of our rent covered a % of that, it doesn't sound right to me.

on the subject of rates I have just 'claimed' our premises to try and make a change to our rateable valuable (well that's a rigmorole) but somehow we have 'public toilets' included and when checking the list of other similar premises many of the preschools and nurseries had public toilets included which obviously we all don't have and this is adding £500 to the rateable value in my county :-O 

[finleysmaid]

we run from an old church hall (no longer owned by the church) but with a D1 useage. Our rateable value for the building is K27 !! we get 80% discount because we are supplying early years education and another 20% because we are a charity. (so no rates!) but the 20% is discretionary and could be applied in the future

[MarshaD]

When we were in a church hall we didn’t pay business rates. I believe church buildings are exempt. 

[Rebecca]

Just to share my moan of this week - I own the church hall that I run my nursery from. Our local authority don't give any relief due to providing early years education and my business rates ... (sit down) .... £35.5K  

[finleysmaid]

14 hours ago, Rebecca said:

Just to share my moan of this week - I own the church hall that I run my nursery from. Our local authority don't give any relief due to providing early years education and my business rates ... (sit down) .... £35.5K  

do you not get any for being a 'small business' either?..your building must be really big!!!!

[Rebecca]

2 hours ago, finleysmaid said:

do you not get any for being a 'small business' either?..your building must be really big!!!!

Nope - I've tried and tried with our local authority, they're not having any of it. The building is pretty big, but it's still only us and 'only' childcare and education!

[finleysmaid]

2 hours ago, Rebecca said:

Nope - I've tried and tried with our local authority, they're not having any of it. The building is pretty big, but it's still only us and 'only' childcare and education!

How very annoying!! would your local LEA have a word?? or have a word with your MP? 

[finleysmaid]

2 hours ago, Rebecca said:

Nope - I've tried and tried with our local authority, they're not having any of it. The building is pretty big, but it's still only us and 'only' childcare and education!

meant to ask have you had it checked recently?

[sunnyday]

23 hours ago, Rebecca said:

Just to share my moan of this week - I own the church hall that I run my nursery from. Our local authority don't give any relief due to providing early years education and my business rates ... (sit down) .... £35.5K  

That is an eye-watering amount of money...….

[Rebecca]

22 hours ago, finleysmaid said:

How very annoying!! would your local LEA have a word?? or have a word with your MP? 

APPG for PVI sectors presented our data to the Minister and we are quoted in the Early Years Alliance data submission for the 'Steps for Sustainability' report. Our MP couldn't be less interested ....

[Rebecca]

22 hours ago, finleysmaid said:

meant to ask have you had it checked recently?

No - I'm applying again for discretionary relief - but with little hope

[finleysmaid]

9 hours ago, Rebecca said:

No - I'm applying again for discretionary relief - but with little hope

we are a charity so  that is a consideration also ...but our local authority is offering low rates to some businessess because  the rents are SO high around here

Good luck!

[MarshaD]

Crikey that would put me out of business!  I thought all church premises were exempt from rates regardless of who owns them. I don’t pay on ours.  I hope someone isn’t going to turn up with a fat bill at some point. 

[Stargrower]

That amount would put me out of business too.

[lynned55]

We have always rented operated from our church hall- only ever been charged rent- which includes any rates, utilities etc.

 

On a different note £35.5K!!!!!!!!! OH my goodness- that would have put us out of business long ago.