Arts University Bournemouth

The Challenge

Following major refurbishments to its campus, the Arts University Bournemouth had faced an increase in its business rates liabilities. The university appointed us to review these alterations and reduce the liability as possible through agreeing revised assessments with the Valuation Office Agency.

The Solution

Following a detailed review of the estate, we identified several areas of the VOA’s valuations that were incorrect, including a failure to reflect the features of the university’s legacy estate. Having negotiated the higher education valuation scheme with the VOA, we drew on our in-depth knowledge of this area to identify the best approach.

The Result

We negotiated a number of settlements without having to take the appeal to the Valuation Tribunal. The settlements saw the assessment reduced by 11% on average compared to the VOA’s original position.