Stephen is a Partner, based in Leeds where he is a Chartered Surveyor and Registered Valuer specialising in business rates. He advises both property occupiers and owners on rating issues.
Over the course of his career, Stephen has dealt with a wide variety of property types across the North of England ranging from airports to universities. His work involves rating valuation and, where necessary, acting as an Expert Witness on behalf of ratepayers at the Valuation Tribunal. He also advises clients on various aspects of rate liability budgeting and mitigation.
Key clients
- Card Factory
- Conocophillips
- Excel Parking Services Ltd
- Ineos Nitriles Ltd
- Leeds Building Society
- Swissport Ltd
- University of Huddersfield
- University of Sheffield
- Yorkshire Building Society
- Vivergo Fuels Ltd.
Recent projects
- Rating appeal work – In his capacity as Chair of the Rating Surveyors Association retail coordination committee for Leeds, Stephen has played a leading role in several significant rating appeal initiatives including alterations to the rating tone in Leeds to reflect the impact of the opening of the Trinity Leeds Shopping Centre and, more recently, Victoria Gate. These projects secured up to 25% reductions in rating assessments of shops in Leeds, resulting in millions of pounds of savings for our clients.
- Vacant property advice – Stephen often advises property owners during periods when properties are vacant. He has recently advised an owner of a HQ office building in Leeds City Centre on a challenge against the rating assessment whilst the building was being remodelled. This resulted in the building being de-rated for the duration of its refurbishment, producing a rate liability saving of over £0.5 million.
- Industrial and energy sector ratings – Another of Stephen’s specialisations is the rating of properties in the industrial and energy sectors. He recently secured rates savings of over £1 million for a petrochemicals processor in the North East by employing various strategies to reduce both the rating assessment and the rate liability through the use of rating reliefs available from the local authority.
