J&E Shepherd Chartered Surveyors has delivered a series of successful rating appeals to a trio of Scottish Colleges resulting in a total gross saving of nearly £240,000 over the five year duration of the current revaluation.

The three colleges to benefit from the rating appeals are Anniesland College, Stow College - both based in Glasgow - and Barony College in Dumfries.

Shepherd's rating appeals resulted in a gross saving of around £98,000 for Anniesland College, £121,000 for Stow College and £19,000 for Barony College.


Alan McKenna, FRICS, Dip Rating, Head of Rating at J&E Shepherd, said: "Having recently concluded a successful rating appeal resulting in a monetary saving of £244,000 for Langside College in Glasgow, these three latest successful appeals provide further evidence of the significant savings that can be made by colleges and other further education establishments submitting a rating appeal."

Gail Earl, Finance Manager, at Barony College said: "Submitting a rating appeal for our premises at Parkgate in Dumfries and Lewis Street in Stranraer certainly proved to be a worthwhile exercise.

"Through negotiation, Alan McKenna at J&E Shepherd was able to persuade the assessor to amend the rateable value on the property at Dumfries from £215,000 to £207,500 backdated to 1st April 2005 and at Stranraer from £8,750 to £8,200 backdated to 1st April 2005."

The charitable status of colleges means that they are required to pay only 20% of their annual rates bill. The next revaluation will come into effect on 1st April 2010.

(GK/JM)