Exeter museum rates ruling drops rateable value to £1

The Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery in Exeter is in a Grade II listed building

A council has won a ruling that could help individual museums across the country to save thousands of pounds.

The case secured by Exeter City Council concerned the rateable value of the Grade II listed Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery (RAMM).

The Royal Courts of Justice ruled the building's rateable value should be reduced from £445,000 to £1.

Councillor Rachel Sutton said £1.3m had been put aside to pay the bill backdated to 2015 in case they lost.

The council said the decision would have a "significant impact" on how English and Welsh museums are valued in the future.

Due to the importance to the sector, the council was supported in its legal battle by Arts Council England and the National Museum Directors Council.

The Valuation Office had appealed against a decision by the Valuation Tribunal for England in August 2018 to reduce the museum's rateable value.

'Waited years'

Mrs Sutton, the council's portfolio holder for Climate and Culture, said: "We are relieved by the outcome which is good news for RAMM but also the sector as a whole.

"Like all other local authorities, Exeter is facing huge financial challenges and the new rateable value will represent a substantial saving at a critical time."

Sir Nicholas Serota, chairperson of Arts Council England, said this was "a significant judgement which will benefit many museums across the country".

Chairperson of the National Museum Directors' Council, Sir Ian Blatchford, said it was "excellent news" for museums who had waited "years for a definitive judgement".

"Many of the museum valuation cases that are currently paused in anticipation of this result will hopefully now progress to sensible conclusions."