Colliers Business Rates team is to expand its office presence and will be opening a new office in Jessop House in Cheltenham at the end of October.
The division is already busy recruiting and will announce new joiners shortly.
The business rates team is part of Colliers, a leading diversified professional services and investment management company operating across commercial real estate in 70 countries across the globe.
Cheltenham is the home to one of the Rating team’s most prestigious clients: The Jockey Club, the largest racehorse group in the UK employing 650 permanent staff across the country. The specialist business rates practice has a strong presence in the horseracing industry acting for a number of trainers – so a presence in Cheltenham will aid further growth plans.
The new office will provide the specialist rating team with its eleventh office in the UK. The division already has a presence in three offices in London (City, West End and Uxbridge) as well as in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol, Glasgow and Belfast.
The team offers the complete range of business rates services including valuations and appeals, compliance and rates accounts management from a team of over 140 ratings specialists including four diploma holders. It covers sectors including automotive, industrial and logistics, offices and serviced offices, retail, leisure, and hospitality and has a strong reputation for working in and campaigning for its clients’ interests.
Since 2010 Colliers business rates team has saved clients over £2 billion; with its specialist Accurates team also saving clients over £500 million.
In addition, Head of Business Rates, John Webber is well known for challenging successive governments over their business rates policies and is a vociferous supporter of business rates reform. The division recently launched its “35 x 35” campaign, calling for a roadmap to reduce the business rates multiplier to 35p by 2035.
John Webber said, “Our division continues to grow, as businesses, disheartened and despairing with the current system, continue to turn to professionals such as ourselves to help them navigate the increasingly complex environment.
Currently, the system appears to be only providing a disincentive for businesses growth, and many businesses are questioning the high levels of tax they are expected to pay and are looking for ways to mitigate this. This year the tax take from business rates rose by 10% and the tax is expected to raise £40 billion by 2030. Such punitive growth levels are unsustainable.”
He added, “The 2023 Rating list has just closed, and latest figures show that we at Colliers have 20% of the outstanding challenges in the system. We are certainly on a growth trajectory I am delighted we are expanding and will continue to recruit the best professionals in the business for our new office ”
John Munday, CEO, Colliers UK added: “The continued growth of our Business Rates team is a great example of Colliers investing in specialist expertise, expanding our presence in key markets and strengthening our ability to advise and support clients.
“The new office in Cheltenham reflects both the success of the team and the opportunities we see ahead, and forms part of our wider Ever Forward strategy. Our Business Rates team has built an outstanding reputation for delivering value to clients, while also leading important conversations around business rates reform. We look forward to supporting this next phase of growth and welcoming new talent to the business.”
