Providing rental information for Revaluation 2023

At revaluation, the Valuation Office Agency adjusts the rateable value of business properties to reflect changes in the property market.

We are now contacting businesses to request rental information. This data helps us maintain up-to-date records which reflect how the value of the property you occupy has changed.

Sending us your rental information

Once you receive a letter from us, you should go online and update your information.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak significantly affected many businesses. If your rent, lease or other business information has changed you can let us know through the rent and lease detail form.

Revaluations and changes to business rates

We use the information provided by all businesses in England and Wales to set rateable values. Rateable values are used by your local authority to calculate your business rates. Revaluations take place every few years and reflect changes in the market.

Requests for rental information

We regularly send requests for rent, lease, or ownership details or requests for information to businesses in England and Wales. Providing this information helps us get the rateable value correct and ensures your local authority can calculate accurate business rates for your business.

Incorrect property details

If you no longer have a connection to the property (for example if you have sold the property or your lease has expired), you should let us know on the form.

If you think the information we hold on your business property is incorrect, you can update your information using our check and challenge service. Ratepayers in Wales can find out how to update their information here.

Landlords of vacant properties

If you’re the landlord of a vacant property you need to complete the form for your property.

If you need help

You can contact one of our teams for help with using the service. Their contact details are on the letter sent by us to your property.

Published 5 October 2020
Last updated 7 October 2020 + show all updates

7 October 2020
Added translation
5 October 2020
First published.

UK companies explore Agri-tech opportunities in Costa Rica

World news story

The Department for International Trade (DIT) organised a virtual workshop to explore opportunities in Agricultural Technology in Costa Rica last week.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) organised a virtual workshop to explore opportunities in Agricultural Technology in Costa Rica last week alongside the British-Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce and the Costa Rican Chamber of Agriculture.

The event, “Costa Rica: Opportunities in Agri-Tech” offered an exclusive opportunity for participants to learn about Costa Rica’s current initiatives to increase the productivity of the agriculture and fisheries sectors, and the specific opportunities available for UK companies. British Ambassador to Costa Rica, Ross Denny, welcomed participants to the workshop, highlighting that:

The UK has one of the most highly regarded agricultural technology sectors in the world. Its fully integrated agricultural supply chain, combined with world-class scientific advances and the country’s natural vibrant business environment, make it an excellent match for Costa Rica’s growing Agritech sector. The UK has pioneered new approaches to farming in areas such as animal science, plant genetics and reproduction, as well as precision agriculture.

There are many global challenges that affect food production in the present day, such as climate change and labour availability, so I am proud that the UK agriculture sector has shown remarkable resilience to the challenges of the current pandemic.

Costa Rica’s acting Minister for Foreign Trade, Mr. Duayner Salas, opened the event with an overview of Descubre, Costa Rica’s programme to strengthen and diversify agricultural production, letting UK companies know more about market needs in areas such as land preparation and crop care, precision farming, seed genetics and smart greenhouses.

This webinar was part of an ongoing effort from DIT Costa Rica to promote knowledge transfer and the incorporation of new technologies from the UK into Costa Rica.

Get in touch with us via this link in case you would like to know more.

Published 5 October 2020

PHE statement on delayed reporting of COVID-19 cases

News story

A technical issue, now resolved, resulted in cases between 25 September and 2 October not being included in the reported daily COVID-19 figures.

Interim Chief Executive, PHE, Michael Brodie said:

A technical issue was identified overnight on Friday 2 October in the data load process that transfers COVID-19 positive lab results into reporting dashboards. After rapid investigation, we have identified that 15,841 cases between 25 September and 2 October were not included in the reported daily COVID-19 cases. The majority of these cases occurred in most recent days.

Every one of these cases received their COVID-19 test result as normal and all those who tested positive who were advised to self-isolate.

NHS Test and Trace and PHE have worked to quickly resolve the issue and transferred all outstanding cases immediately into the NHS Test and Trace contact tracing system and I would like to thank contact tracing and health protection colleagues for their additional efforts over the weekend.

We fully understand the concern this may cause and further robust measures have been put in place as a result.

Test and Trace and PHE Joint Medical Advisor Susan Hopkins, said:

Our analysis now shows that this issue affected a total of 15,841 cases from the period between 25 September and 2 October, with the majority occurring in recent days. This means the total number of positive cases over this period was higher than previously reported.

Of these, over 75% (11,968) relate to cases that should have been reported between 30 September and 2 October.

This issue did not affect people receiving their COVID-19 test results and all people who tested positive have received their COVID-19 test result in the normal way. It also does not impact the basis on which decisions about local action were taken last week.

All outstanding cases were immediately transferred to the contact tracing system by 1am on 3 October and a thorough public health risk assessment was undertaken to ensure outstanding cases were prioritised for contact tracing effectively.

The advice remains the same. If you have tested positive you must self-isolate immediately for at least 10 days from when your symptoms began and we urge everyone who is contacted by NHS Test and Trace to provide details of their recent contacts.

Published 4 October 2020
Last updated 4 October 2020 + show all updates

4 October 2020
First published.

Troika Statement on the Peace Agreement between the Government of Sudan and Sudanese Opposition Groups

Press release

The following statement was issued jointly by the Governments of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Norway.

The United States, the United Kingdom, and Norway (the Troika) welcome the signing of the peace agreement between the Civilian-led Transitional Government, the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minawi and Sudanese Alliance on October 3, 2020. The peace agreement marks an important step toward meeting the calls of the Sudanese people for freedom, peace, and justice, especially for those affected by conflict in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, and other parts of Sudan.

The agreement includes a ceasefire and an increase in participation from the opposition movements and conflict affected communities in the transitional government, as well as mechanisms and commitments for reconciliation, justice and resource sharing. We commend the parties for engaging in the good faith negotiations needed for this comprehensive agreement and thank the Government of South Sudan for its mediation efforts leading to today’s signing. We also recognize the role played by the UN and other regional and bilateral partners.

The Troika also welcomes the recent dialogue between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North/Abdelaziz al-Hilu and encourages both sides to begin wider negotiations on ending their conflict so all Sudanese can play a part in the transitional process. We call on the Sudan Liberation Movement/Abdulwahid Al Nur and the Government of Sudan to begin talks to achieve a comprehensive peace involving all the major armed movements.

A lasting peace will require dedicated and Sudanese-led efforts to implement this agreement in the spirit of cooperation and compromise. The Troika looks forward to continuing our support for the parties and all Sudanese in the realization of a lasting peace.

Published 4 October 2020

New space service to revolutionise photography at sporting events

A £900,000 investment from the UK Space Agency in partnership with the European Space Agency will support developers at AWOL, based in the North West, to roll out their space-enabled photography service that is able to upload images in real-time.

The service, which can be used at mass sporting events of all kinds including running, cycling and triathlons, means when a person passes a specific milestone on the course or crosses the finish line, their photos will be delivered instantaneously via smartphone to family and friends.

The investment comes as the UK marks UN-backed World Space Week 2020 (4th to 10th October) which celebrates the contribution made by satellites to everyday lives.

The new project will see a number of rollouts at real events in early 2021 – including the Cancer Research UK London Winter Run, Manchester Marathon, Tour de Yorkshire Ride, Royal Windsor Triathlon (organised by Human Race) and the Children with Cancer Swim Serpentine and Standard Chartered Great City Race (organised by the London Marathon Events Company) among others later in the year.

Space is a key contributor to the UK economy, employing around 42,000 people, and it is also fundamental to many sports activities that rely on satellites for time and location services, provided by GPS, and access to the internet, provided by satellite communications.

The project is being led by developers and photographers from AWOL, and supported by some of the UK’s major tech brands including SCAN Computing, BigBlu and Wex Photographic, bringing in cutting edge tech from the likes of Microsoft, HP, Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Sony, Cobham and Europasat.

Rich Burnett, Co Founder and Operations Director, said:

Image quality is everything: not only will photos be delivered much faster than is currently possible, but it also unlocks huge potential for Quality Control.

Production Managers will be able monitor the actual pictures being taken, and make a range of both physical and technical adjustments to continue pushing the boundaries of event photography.

Graham Turnock, CEO of the UK Space Agency, said:

Space is a glue that joins together many of the practical parts of our everyday lives, from how we bank to our food delivery. But it also supports technologies like sports photography that make life more fun.

AWOL’s concept will help revolutionise the quality and the speed of sports photography and I am certain anyone who has taken part in these kinds of events will look forward to using this service.

Nick Rusling, CEO of Human Race Events, said:

AWOL is a company we’ve been pleased to work with for the last three years across our event portfolio which includes the award-winning Manchester Marathon, Manchester Half Marathon, Dragon Ride, Windsor Triathlon and others.

It’s great to see innovation happening in the area of Photography and Athlete Experience, especially in such a challenging time for our industry and we look forward to reaping the benefits of this new technology as part of our ongoing and profitable partnership with AWOL

Human Race Ltd, under parent ownership of Tour de France owners, Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O) is the UK’s premier Mass Participation Sporting Events organiser, with a diverse portfolio of running, cycling and triathlon events year-round including the Manchester Marathon, Tommy’s Manchester Half, Cancer Research UK London Winter Run, Tour de Yorkshire Ride, Dragon Ride and Royal Windsor Triathlon.

The UK space sector is an economic success story, growing by over 60% since 2010. The sector already supports £300 billion of UK economic activity through the use of satellite services, and the government has established a new National Space Council to consider how space policy can enhance the country’s prosperity and place in the world, as well as our security interests.

The UK continues to be a leading member of the European Space Agency, which is independent of the EU, having committed a record investment of £374 million per year in November 2019. Satellites support the economy and everyday life and this is one of the UK’s fastest growing industries.