Business Rates / Rating

I have over 35 years’ experience in the rating industry and lead a 135 plus rating team at Colliers.  When I took over responsibility for the team in 2005, it consisted of only a dozen people and has now grown into one of the leading rating advisory teams in the country.  I am a member of Colliers' UK Management Executive as well as sitting on the company’s Balance in Business Committee. 

I am regularly called upon by the national media to give my views on a range of business rates issues and I am involved in lobbying MPs/ministers and senior civil servants on business rates matters.

I started my career in the Valuation Office Agency in Kidderminster.  I joined Gerald Eve in 2000 where I spent 10 years before moving to Gooch Webster (now Colliers). I sit on the National Retail Panel of Rating Surveyors Association which provides guidance on how the RSA town committees work with the VOA and valuation matters.  I have also held the postion as Chair of the RICS Rating Diploma Committee having passed the prestigious qualification in 2014. I currently sit on the Rating Surveyors Association National Committee .

Along with Philip Harrison we founded 'Accurates' in 2007, the Collier's Compliance and Audit team, which although forms an integral part of the Rating team is now a leading brand in its own right.

I have over 20 years’ experience in the Rating industry and head up the Accurates team at Colliers International.

I started my career at Wolverhampton City Council in 1999 within the Revenues Department. I joined Colliers International in 2007 as a Rating Compliance & Audit Manager and was ultimately promoted to Head of Accurates in 2020. I am a diploma member of the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV).

Darren's professional career started with a national surveying firm specialising in Commercial and Industrial property.  From here he moved to a West London company that specialsised in the London, Thames Valley and  Home Counties market where he assisted in developing the professional services client base.  This company  was  subsequently acquired by what is now Colliers International where Darren has focused on providing clients advice on business rates (UK Property Tax) with the Rating team, which has grown from year to year and  are now the leading advisers in the industry.

As a Director of the Rating Department, Darren's experience covers bulk and specialist property and he is involved with client management for local and national companies.

Darren also oversees the UK Rating Valuation Surveyors team in ensuring the best advice and highest service is provided to clients.

Damien's first position within the surveying world was as a graduate working for RMC, based at their International Head Quarters in Thorpe, Egham, where he specialised in the contractors test method of valuation for rating purposes and provided lease consultancy and valuation advice to internal Group companies.

After six years working client side he took a position within the Professional Department at Strutt & Parker where he specialised in business rates advice and was an RICS registered valuer, undertaking commercial valuaton work for secured lending purposes. He was instrumental in the creation of a business rates advisory team within Strutt & Parker, and was appointed Head of Rating.

Damien joined Colliers International in January 2012 and is a Director within the London team providing advice on all property classes and continues to advise his first employer on the opportunities to mitigate their UK property tax liability.

I have over 20 years experience in Business Rates Appeal work.

I specialise in the following sectors, large industrial, breweries, distribution warehouses, large foodstores and car showrooms.

I cover the greater Midlands Area, I am a member of several business rate forums, tasked with negotiating an agreed valuation basis with the Valuaiton Office, on various property sectors.

I regularly attend Valuation Tribunal and have presented at Upper Tribunal, including the Simpsons Malt Case, regarding VT/VOA procedure.

As an RICS APC Assessor, I am responsible for training the Business Rates Graduates within the Birmingham Office and as part of a team, mentor all of the Birmingham Office Graduates, across disciplines.

With over two decades of commercial property experience, most of which specialising in Business Rates, Ben's property knowledge is both diverse in terms of geography and asset type but also detailed.  Large, small, common and uncommon property types, ranging from ATM's to distribution centres from boat moorings to hospitals, each asset requires their own consideration and valuation.  

Ben is responsible for Colliers Business Rate appeal work in South West England and South Wales.  Having also worked in London's West End Ben has a unique perspective regionally and nationally.  

Clients include; property funds, developers, HNIs and occupiers from multinational PLCs to sole traders. 

In addtion to providing expert rating advice Ben also provides consultancy to businesses concerned about how to bring properties into assessment.  Ben also provides RV estimates and budget forecasts as well as rate audit and rate mitigation advice.  

Colliers Rating team typically shares the risk/reward with Clients.  As a result, fees are levied based on a percentage of the saving achieved which means Colliers are results driven and both Client and Colliers are mutually aligned to achieve the lowest rate liability possible.  Over the years this has afforded strong, collaborative, relationships of great personal value.   

Recent highlights include;

• Regional HQ building - consent order to reduced an RV from £1,600,000 to £900,000 following an appeal to the High Court Lands Chamber.  
• A client with multiple properties saved over £500,000 following work to get the assessments reducecd to RV £0 from a particularly advantageous date.

Mick started his career in the Valuation Office before moving to private practice in 1989. He joined Colliers in June 1997 and since that date has provided advice on minimising business rates liabilities to a wide range of clients nationwide.

He has experinece in dealing with all bulk classes, including shops, offices and indutrial property but has particular expertise in dealing with Licensed and Leisure properties.

Sophie Attwood BA (Hons) MSc MRICS – Director Head of Liverpool 

Sophie is Head of Liverpool, a specialist in Rating with an in depth knowledge of valuation, rating principles and law in England, Wales & Scotland.

Her experience includes

• Rating casework settlement of a wide range of property classes and types throughout the UK including; retail, office, industrial, public houses, garages, gyms and bowling alleys.
• Experience of Market Rent Valuations including Rental Valuations, Contractors Valuations and Licensed Property Valuations.
• Preparing and presented cases at Valuation Tribunal.

Adam has extensive experience in rating valuation, having worked in both the public and private sectors, based within the North West.

This experience covers a wide range of properties including retail, office, large industrial, licensed premises and numerous public sector properties.

Louise's role within the Rating Department involves dealing with a large number of appeals on behalf of various local and national clients.

Louise has been involved in complex negotiations for a diverse portfolio of properties across the whole of Scotland in order to secure reductions in Rateable Value for clients.

Louise is also involved in Commercial Lease Consultancy comprising mostly of rent reviews, lease renewals and lease re-gears. Working for a number of national clients on their Scottish property porfolios.

David is an Associate Director within the Colliers Professional Services Department. 

David provides strategic lease advisory and business rates advice to a range of corporate and private clients, both on landlord and occupier side, seeking to maximise performance of their various assets.

David has appeared in the Valuation Tribunal for England and the Lands Tribunal for Northern Ireland.