Number One Riverside will cost over half a million pounds more in business rates this year

Number One Riverside

Number One Riverside, Rochdale Council’s £50million award winning new civic offices, will cost an extra £582,810 in business rates this year new research reveals.

The building, which incorporates the town’s civic offices, customer service centre and central library, will, in this financial year, have paid £780,840 in business rates based upon a Rateable Value of £1.62million.

It is understood that the Council sought to challenge and appeal the value placed upon the building by the Government’s Valuation Office Agency with the matter proceeding to the independent Valuation Tribunal where the Council’s case was dismissed and the valuation upheld.

Number One Riverside replaced the municipal offices known locally as 'The Black Box', which were demolished in 2014 along with the bus station and multi-storey car park. The Rateable Value of the ‘The Black Box’ was £410,000 meaning that when the Council vacated the building, in 2012/13, the business rates payable were £187,780.

Had the Council remained in ‘The Black Box’ then this year the business rates for the Council offices would have been £198,030.

Local Business Rates Expert Paul Turner-Mitchell said: "Next year the additional cost of business rates for the move will be an extra £596,530 and it will be more the year after that taking into account inflation and so on."

Rochdale Council has been invited to comment.