Tribunals · City of London Corporation · 2017 rating list

3RD & 4TH FLRS 20 OLD BAILEY, 33 ST MARY AXE, EC4M 7BH

Office and Premises Decided 31 July 2025 CHG101121975 Savills UK Limited

OutcomeAllowed in partThe tribunal reduced the rateable value, but by less than the ratepayer sought.
Original RV£242,000£525/m²
Ratepayer sought—
VO conceded first—
Tribunal decided£260,000£500/m²

Figures are as stated in the decision; a dash means the document does not state that figure. This decision covers 12 properties; the figures shown are for the first listed.

What was argued and what the tribunal found

The appellants challenged the rateable values for 12 office units at 20 Old Bailey, Central London, arguing that an unadjusted base rate of £525 psm was unreasonable and should be reduced to £475 psm (later revised to £475 psm). The appellants relied on comparable rental evidence from within the subject building and comparable properties (10 Old Bailey and 60 Ludgate Hill), together with photographs demonstrating building quality. The tribunal found the current RVs unreasonable and, noting that the subject property was superior to the newly-built 10 Old Bailey (£480 psm) but inferior to the newly-built 60 Ludgate Hill (£550 psm), and applying a discount for the subject being refurbished rather than newly built, determined a reasonable unadjusted base rate of £500 psm.

Summary generated from the decision text and checked against it. The appellant was Metro Bank plc; Phoenix Group; Withers LLP; Barings, represented.

Grounds argued

  • Comparable assessments (tone) · decisive
  • Floor area or measurement
Evidence
Rents, Photographs, Settled assessments
Cases cited
Dawn Bunyan (VO) v Acenden Limited [2023] UKUT 17 (LC); Gardiner & Theobald LLP v David Jackson (VO) [2018] UKUT 0253 (LC); Denton v TH White Ltd [2014] EWCA Civ 906
Hearing
1 July 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.