Goodman Nash

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by Goodman Nash's best practice article

The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from Goodman Nash is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett, MP

Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles, MP

www.goodmannash.co.uk

1GOODMAN NASH |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE

Director

AndrewWheeler

Director AlanWeston

Goodman Nash are one of the earliest and largest

companies of their type. Through their audit business

rate recovery services, they provide savings to clients

in the commercial property sector. Moreover, by using data

intelligently, they find the clients who are most likely to benefit

from their expertise. To ensure that clients are confident

in purchasing their services, Goodman Nash receive only a

percentage of the savings they achieve. By doing this, both

companies’ incentives align: the more Goodman Nash saves, the

better the financial result for both parties. The success of this

model – despite some of the political challenges faced along the

way – is explained in greater detail by Director Alan Weston.

Fellow director Andrew Wheeler and I founded this company in 1994 in order to assist

clients occupying commercial property in getting their money back. In the early days,

our efforts resulted in a landmark Court of Appeal decision against the Valuation Office

Agency on two test cases. As a result of this, our clients then went on to recover more

than £30 million in business rates overcharges across roughly 18,000 properties.

Very soon after starting the company, we had already made a mark on the industry.

Understanding our clients, delivering results

Fast-forward to today, and we are now recognised as a leading audit business rates

recovery specialist. Our ultimate goal is to save our clients as much money aspossible.

Our services are for all kinds of commercial property occupiers, be they small, medium

FACTS ABOUT

GOODMAN NASH

»Co-directors: Alan Weston and

Andrew Wheeler

»Founded in 1994

»Located in London, Bristol,

Devizes

»Services: Property audit

»No. of employees: 55

»www.goodmannash.co.uk

Goodman Nash

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

2| GOODMAN NASH

or large enterprises, including those

working in retail, leisure, industrial,

manufacturing and finance sectors. We

are confident enough in our success

that our revenue comes from taking

a percentage of the savings we make

for our clients. Our status as one of

the largest dedicated property audit

companies in the UK means we will do

whatever it takes to discover, recover

and reduce costs.

The area in which we work is primarily

concerned with commercial property,

and we perform our work within

the jurisdictions of England, Wales

and Scotland. At present, we have

55 employees, among whom are

chartered surveyors, ex-local authority

employees and graduates. One of

the keys to our success is our ability

to mine and interrogate data in

order to discover opportunities in the

marketplace. After finding companies

who could benefit from our services,

we approach them with specific details

about how much we can save them by

securing reductions in rateable value

and through corrections of charges

more generally. All of this, of course,

is done responsibly and with due

adherence to the regulation of data.

Our expertise means we can work across

the whole of the UK. Relief entitlement,

which varies considerably from

jurisdiction to jurisdiction, is therefore

something we can deliver on, wherever

our client comes from. Detailed and

intricate knowledge of this policy area

is the result of our many decades’

worth of accumulatedexperience.

Working through

unpredictability

Our ability to navigate in this difficult

terrain is among the best, but there

are hurdles that – although they may

not affect our clients – might affect

our business. I’m speaking here of the

constant political changes in the area of

business rates. In 2018, for example, the

chancellor announced that from April

2019, businesses with a rateable value of

less than £51,000 would have one third

of their rates bill cut. Another example

of sudden change is the postponement

of the revaluation that was due to take

place in 2015. The government also

said recently that revaluations will occur

every three years after 2021.

These changes can present significant

difficulties because we charge on the

Alan and Andrew with

Devizes Museum Director

David Dawson, one of

our more unusual clients

Our expertise

means we can

work across

the whole of

the UK

“

3GOODMAN NASH |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE

basis of revaluation periods and on the

assumption of certain policies being

in place. When these change, as they

often do, we might end up getting

less money than we anticipated. Many

of these changes are beneficial to

clients, but it can make planning more

difficult for us. We simply have to

work through it; it’s one of the largest

challenges we face as a company.

What doesn’t benefit our clients,

however, is government incapacity

when it comes to processing

revaluation appeals. The number of

units being assessed is far too high for

the relatively few people there are to

handle these claims. This will be made

even more difficult by the fact that the

Valuation Office Agency might lose 25

per cent of its staff.

Indeed, the government was seriously

considering at one point overhauling

the entire process and making

business owners perform their own

self-assessment – although they

recently decided against this scheme.

Wetherefore have to make sure we

are diligent in our work in order that

there is little room for confusion. To

say that this is an enormous challenge

for everyone in the industry is, as far

as I’m concerned, no exaggeration.

Indeed, a lot of people are saying that

the system isn’t fit for purpose. The

more the government fails to get a

grip on this issue, the more costly it

will be – in terms of both time and

money – forcompanies.

Our role in this, however, is to keep on

delivering for our clients, whatever the

situation in terms of politics. Goodman

Nash, after all, has been delivering

in this sector for roughly a quarter of

a century – in which time we have

accumulated an enormous amount

of experience and resilience. We

have seen many shifts in the political

landscape and have weathered storms

before. Our unique expertise and

strong, data-driven business model will

see us through long into the future.

The government

was seriously

considering at

one point

overhauling the

entire process

and making

business owners

perform their

own self-

assessment

“

The Check, Challenge

Appeal process

(England) – the way

forward?

www.goodmannash.co.uk

The Parliamentary Review Publication, in which this article originally appeared, contained the following foreword from Rt Hon Michael Gove.

Rt Hon Michael Gove's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By Rt Hon Michael Gove

This year's Parliamentary Review comes at a momentous time for parliament, as we collectively determine the destiny of the United Kingdom.

On October 31, the UK will leave the European Union. The successful implementation of this process is this government's number-one priority.

Three years after a historic referendum vote, we will deliver on the decisive mandate from the British people. Trust in our democracy depends on it. Until that final hour, we will work determinedly and diligently to negotiate a deal, one that abolishes the backstop and upholds the warm and close relationship we share with our friends, allies and neighbours in the EU. But in the event that the EU refuses to meet us at the table, we must be prepared to leave without a deal.

As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, it is my job to lead on this government's approach, should that scenario happen. Preparing for Brexit is my department's driving mission. But while I am leading this turbocharged effort, the whole of government is committed to this endeavour.

Ministers across Whitehall are working together to ensure that every possibility is considered, every plan is scrutinised and every provision is made. A daily drumbeat of meetings means that we are holding departments accountable, so that preparations are completed on time.

The chancellor has confirmed that all necessary funding will be made available. And we have mobilised thecivil service, assigning 15,000 of our most talented civil servants to manage our exit from the EU.

We will make sure that on November 1, there is as little disruption to national life as possible. Our trade relationships will continue to thrive, thanks to agreements with countries around the world worth £70 billion. Our country will remain secure, thanks to nearly 1,000 new officers posted at our borders. And the 3.2 million EU nationals now living and working among us can remain confident, with absolute certainty, of their right to remain in the UK.

Above all, our goal is to be transparent. Soon, we will launch a public information campaign so that citizens, communities and businesses are ready and reassured about what will happen in the event of “no deal”.

In my first few weeks in this role, I have travelled to ports and tarmacs, borders and bridges, all across the UK –from the seaside of Dover to the rolling green hills of County Armagh. I have heard from business owners and border officials, farmers and hauliers. They are ready to put an end to uncertainty. And they are ready to embrace the opportunities ahead.

Our departure from the EU will be a once in a lifetime chance to chart a new course for the United Kingdom. Preparing for that new course will be a herculean effort. But this country has made astounding efforts before. We can do it again.

Rt Hon Michael Gove
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster