Client: University of Manchester

We were appointed through a competitive tendering process to provide a complete rating service to the University of Manchester for the 2005 Rating Revaluation.


In October 2004 the University of Manchester was created by merging together the Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST. However, in the 2005 Rating List (as was the case in the 2000 Rating List), there remained two separate individual rating assessments for the original university sites, separated by the A57(M) Mancunian Way.

Approach
We undertook a comprehensive referencing exercise of the University’s entire estate, followed by a detailed review of the values adopted by the Valuation Officer on the main campus sites.

Additionally, we reached agreement to merge the two campuses and have demonstrated that other assessments in the 2000 Rating List, agreed by the university’s previous advisers, should also have been merged.

Results
We succeeded in identifying and negotiating significant reductions in the assessments as follows:

• Manchester University from RV £7.45 million to RV £6.4 million
• Former UMIST from RV £3.1 million to RV £2.7 million

This will result in additional savings through transitional relief, which will be in excess of £1m.