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Jenny Wigley QC appeared for the respondent, Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums. The Upper Tribunal decision may be found here. The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) ruled that three museums and art galleries in the northeast of England should be assessed at nominal rateable values. The Tribunal rejected the Valuation Officer’s argument that the social and socio-economic value of the museums to the local area should be reflected in their rateable values. It also rejected the Valuation Officer’s approach of using a shortened receipts method of valuation. This is the third time in recent years that the Upper Tribunal has confirmed nominal values for museum hereditaments, but the first time that the Valuation Officer’s ‘social value’ argument has been considered in any detail. The decision is likely to set a strong precedent for the rating of museums and other cultural venues across England and Wales, saving them thousands of pounds in business rates.
