Petition for Pub Business Rate Reform

About Us

I'm Nicholas Roffe, with over 50 years in the hospitality industry. I've owned The Furze Bush Inn freehouse for over 40 years. I'm leading a petition to change the way pub business rates are calculated, aiming for fairer treatment for pubs across the country.

The current method of calculation is called Fair Maintainable Trade.

It's anything but fair, with huge variations within any local area.

A Valuation Officer makes a decision on what level of trade a competent landlord/lady should get at their pub, supposedly taking in all considerations that might affect trade.

The Valuation Agency has an instruction manual (45 pages) if you'd like to read it go to.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63c01fb3e90e0771ba389eb6/Guide_to_Public_Houses.pdf

I've been appealling successive revaluations with limited success since 1990, different valuation officers have different views on a pubs potential, and they will not compare values with pubs outside their area even if they agree with me that the premises and location are similar.

Successive governments since John Major have promised reform but nothing has been done and I wouldn't rely on Starmer and Reeves to save the day. We should be taxed on the profits we make, not on an individuals guess at what they should be.

Please Sign Our Petition

With 100,000 signatures, parliament should debate the petition.
With 1 million signatures, they'll have to, just 25 signatures from every surviving pub in the country would do it !

Sign the Petition

I've been asked to provide more information by customers and landlords,
the following table illustrates my experience

Year End 31/5	Rates payable	Turnover	%	Pint Price		Comments
1985	758	151,000	.5	78p to £1	Inc. domestic rates
1986	1079	163,081	.66		Inc. domestic rates
1987	1079	164,770	.65		Inc. domestic rates
1988	1079	183,409	.58		Inc. domestic rates
1989	1079	201,000	.53		Inc. domestic rates
1990	1601	225,357	.71		Inc. domestic rates	Uniform Business Rate 1/4/90
1991	5255	281,253	1.8		Plus Council Tax
1992	5240	289,120	1.8		Plus Council Tax
1993	5267	296,148	1.8		Plus Council Tax
1994	5596	322,223	1.7		Plus Council Tax
1995	5239	303,726	1.7		Plus Council Tax
1996	5456	318,579	1.7		Plus Council Tax	A34 bypass building
1997	8271	433,085	1.9			Including unplanned six
1998	8755	386,059	2.2			month road closure
1999	10495	352,275	3.0
2000	10519	371,402	2.8
2001	14048	487,762	2.8			Hotel opened
2002	16800	621,916	2.7
2003	17315	734,249	2.4
2004	17984	762,326	2.4
2005	18066	720,089	2.5
2006	18065	735,000	2.5
2007	18065	803,028	2.3
2008	21061	766,925	2.7
2009	27438	640,128	4.3
2010	27468	613,993	4.5
2011	27416	592,092	4.6
2012	27964	555,155	5.0
2013	28675	498,727	5.7
2014	25527	505,396	5.1
2015	25112	529,734	4.7
2016	25096	593,872	4.2
2017	25919	625,589	4.1
2018	24000	711,601	3.4
2019	21812	710,674	3.1
2020	21838	489,425	4.5			Covid 19
2021	678	285,412	0.2			Covid 19
2022	8436	674,550	1.3
2023	14530	700,791	2.1
2024	3209	777,866	0.4
2025	7044	743,880	0.9
2026	8868	815,000	1.1	£4.5 - £7.2
2027

Contact Us

Please disregard this map, I can't change it.
The Furze Bush Inn is at RG20 0NQ

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About Us

Please Sign Our Petition

I've been asked to provide more information by customers and landlords,the following table illustrates my experience

Contact Us

Please disregard this map, I can't change it. The Furze Bush Inn is at RG20 0NQ

I've been asked to provide more information by customers and landlords,
the following table illustrates my experience

Please disregard this map, I can't change it.
The Furze Bush Inn is at RG20 0NQ