Business rates - rubbish/recycling collection

[Nemo]

We are registered for business rates and as such do not qualify for free rubbish collection...we would need to pay for a "prescribed waste collection". It's never been a problem until now, as we are on a park and the owner has always provided waste collection.

The owner now believes everyone should have a bin, with waste collected by the Council for free, but that's because they hadn't realised some of us pay business rates.

What's your position, those of you that pay business rates?

[Annew]

Hi Deb

Although we pay business rates, our local council turn a blind eye in cases like ours with holiday properties adjacent to residential properties providing we use Green Wheelie bins and don't dispose of commercial waste. We also leave the bin men (That's probably a really un PC name) a healthy tip at christmas which helps.

But as you know, our rubbish is collected from the farm entrance - obviously things will be different in your case where there are multiple collections. You'd think that your council would turn a blind eye though? Would the bin men know that you pay business rates?

[Nemo]

Hi Anne

No, the Council never used to collect although I don't know exactly what's happening now. The park is classified as a business and therefore had to provide its own collection. Gradually, as they sell off the properties, people pay Council tax and receive a bin. Or as in my case pay business rates and don't receive a bin.

The trouble is they stopped paying for the waste collection and so the bins were not properly emptied from January to April. The rubbish was lifted out of the bins, placed in skips and therefore the bins were never properly emptied! I'm going there next week, so will then find out what's happening on site currently.

The landlords have not understood that many of us qualify as businesses and so the problem starts with no-one taking responsibility!

[waterwitch]

Nemo this is an interesting one - obviously if you want to run as a FHL in the UK you need to be on business rates but I hadn't thought about the question of bin collection.

In all honesty, you do wonder what you are paying rates for if the bins don't even get picked up! I wonder what would happen if they started to oblige holiday homes to arrange for private contracts - the council in Liverpool do regularly check that businesses have a contract in place to cover waste disposal and ask for evidence.

[DaveN]

Hi Nemo,
I'm in a similar position to you, and have just paid NNDC for my waste collection (bin rental(!), rubbish and recycling collection). About £280 as I recall.
The only saving grace is that the business rate relief is 100% until at least September, so I'm saving more on council tax than I'm spending on rubbish collection.
Maybe the bin men would have collected anyway, but I didn't want to take the chance, what with not living nearby to sort out the choas if not.

[apexblue]

We are on BR's and refuse is collected the same as residential. However have heard next door county is trying to get holiday lets to pay £250 pa more for refuse collection.

[kg1]

Hi. After reading the above a couple of weeks ago we thought business rates - what's that? We had no idea we should not be paying normal council tax & the local council knew we were a holiday let. Well, a bit of searching, a few 'phone calls & a couple of forms later we are registered for BR. As the government extended the discount of 100% for another year ( I'm an expert now!) we will save at least £1,700 this year, possibly the same next year AND get a refund of some sort for last year. RESULT!!!!!!!

Thankyou so much for alerting us. We had no idea. Now I'm wondering what else I don't know about??

[Nemo]

Glad we could help! That's not an amount to be sniffed at is it?

You often find this though, one part of a council has absolutely nothing to do with another, so unless you have the facts and know which questions to ask, then you could remain forever in the dark!

[apexblue]

Have you all been put on business rates straight away? We were told by VOA you have to be a holiday rental for a year, then apply, then get refund etc.

[Nemo]

Yes straight away, with a slight delay when the property was first valued. That sounds a bit strange TBH, but you're sorted now aren't you? Did the make you pay Council tax when you could have been on business rates and then get refund?

[apexblue]

Did the make you pay Council tax when you could have been on business rates and then get refund?

On it now but we had to wait a year. About to apply for another so will see what they say this time. We are in Wales though

[Nemo]

Ah well, they do speak another language there, so we'll put it down to being a foreign land.....

[kg1]

We have gone on it straight away as we have been renting since 2007 - I don't want to think about what we've paid out but they can only back date 'till the previous year.

[apexblue]

in the 12 months prior to its assessment, it was available for letting commercially, as self-catering accommodation, for short periods totalling 140 days or more

This from the VOA Wales website. Obviously another rule for over the border

[Wonkeye]

I wonder what would happen if they started to oblige holiday homes to arrange for private contracts - the council in Liverpool do regularly check that businesses have a contract in place to cover waste disposal and ask for evidence.

I'd like to echo this concern. I posted an item entitled Controlled Waste Regulations in the UK - anyone worried? in the Members only part here but no-one replied to it!
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