Host's rates appeal win leads to rebate

A licensee has secured a £345 rebate on his premises licence fee — after successfully appealing against his business rates.

Enterprise lessee Andy Darby saw his pub's rateable value (RV) fall from £41,000 to £28,250, backdated from July 2007 until 1 April 2010, following an appeal of the 2005 ratings list by surveyors Lawrence Tattersall.

Licence fees are banded and set against the pub's RV.

Darby's appeal took his pub from band C to band B, meaning he was due a refund on the licence fee of the extra paid over three years.

Darby, of the Stockton Arms Hotel in Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, said he called his council's licensing department, where he was told to make an enquiry via email.

"This I did and within 20 minutes I received a call from the licensing administration department, informing me that I was entitled to a refund of three years' overpayment, which amounted to around £345," said Darby.

"They told me that on payment of this year's fee I would receive a cheque for the reimbursed amount."

The Enterprise lessee encouraged other licensees who have had their rates reduced to contact their council as soon as possible.

"I think there are a lot of people in the same situation as me, and I don't think councils will tell everyone whose rates have dropped that they can claim this money back."

Morning Advertiser legal editor Peter Coulson said the "magic number" for licensees appealing their RV is £33,000.

If hosts get their RV reduced from above £33,000 to below that figure, they'll move from band C to band B — meaning lower licence fees and possibly rebates.