Tribunals · City of London Corporation · 2017 rating list

GND FL N 3 Temple Gardens, Middle Temple Lane, EC4Y 9AU

Office and Premises Decided 17 July 2025 CHG101075436 JMA Chartered Surveyors

OutcomeAllowed in partThe tribunal reduced the rateable value, but by less than the ratepayer sought.
Original RV£38,250£400/m²
Ratepayer sought—
VO conceded first—
Tribunal decided£38,250£380/m²

Figures are as stated in the decision; a dash means the document does not state that figure. This decision covers 16 properties; the figures shown are for the first listed.

What was argued and what the tribunal found

The appellants challenged the rateable values for 16 barristers' chambers in Victorian and Georgian buildings in Temple, London, proposing lower rates per square metre. The tribunal found the original £400 psm for Victorian and £380 psm for Georgian properties were unreasonable based on rental evidence showing a 5-10% value differential between property types. The tribunal reduced the unadjusted base rates to £380 psm for Victorian properties and £360 psm for Georgian properties. The tribunal dismissed claims for a floor area adjustment (11.95m² disputed) and fragmentation allowances for certain non-self-contained units, finding insufficient evidence to support these adjustments.

Summary generated from the decision text and checked against it. The appellant was Various (One Essex Court Ltd, Hailsham Chambers, Smyth Barkham LLP, Farrars Building, 7 KBW Ltd, Chambers of Simon Davenport QC, Honourable Society of Inner Temple), represented.

Grounds argued

  • Comparable assessments (tone) · decisive
  • Floor area or measurement
  • Split or merge the assessment
Evidence
Rents, Photographs, Expert report
Cases cited
Gardiner & Theobald LLP v David Jackson (VO) [2018] UKUT 0253 (LC)
Hearing
18 June 2025

Similar decisions

All decisions in City of London Corporation · Offices nationally

Is your own rateable value in line?

A free check compares a property with the assessments around it and says plainly whether there is anything worth pursuing.

Check a property

The tribunal’s decision in full

Download the PDF · Find it on valuationtribunal.gov.uk

Decision © Crown copyright, published by the Valuation Tribunal Service under the Open Government Licence v3.0 and reproduced unaltered. This site does not index the names of private individuals that appear in decisions. Information, not advice.