This section applies to all zoo and safari park premises.
List Description: Zoo and Premises or Safari Park and PremisesPrimary Description Code: LXSCAT code: 304, suffix S
This is a specialist class of property, to be valued by Specialists in each Business Unit.
The Class Co-ordination Team has overall responsibility for the co-ordination of this class. Contact details are in VP and CCT Members. The team is responsible for the approach, accuracy and consistency of valuations. The team will deliver Practice Notes describing the valuation basis for revaluation and provide advice as necessary during the life of the rating lists. Caseworkers have a responsibility to:
follow the advice given at all times
not depart from the guidance given on appeals or maintenance work, without approval from the co-ordination team
seek advice from the co-ordination team before starting any new work
Zoos and Safari Parks are licensed under the UK Zoo Licensing Act (1981), and the Secretary of States Standards of Modern Zoo Practice (2004), and are subject to meeting specified requirements as regards public education, conservation and animal welfare.
Zoos and Safari Parks should be measured to net internal area (NIA) or gross external area (GEA), depending upon the use of the building, in accordance with the VOA Code of Measuring Practice for Rating Purposes.
The survey should include the following information:
A site plan showing the full extent of the property, location of all buildings together with their use and any other information.
Details of access and parking;
Entry charges including details of any concessionary rates, yearly rates, free admissions policy;
Times and days of opening including details of any seasonal closures;
Details of any other facilities provided such as use for conferences, research facilities, head/regional offices and conservation activities.;
If the occupation is by a charity details should be obtained of any trading company operating all or part of the property, e.g. shops and restaurants (see paragraph 6 below);
A brochure for the property.
In all cases plans and surveys should be stored in the property folder of the Electronic Document Records Management (EDRM) system.
It is unlikely that such occupations will be under an arms length lease and, in any event, passing rents are unlikely to reflect the tenants improvements involved in creating the hereditament. Much of the value will be inherent in, for a Safari Park, the open pens and for a Zoo in the cages and pens. As many operators of this class are commercially orientated, the main approach to valuation should be on the basis of receipts and expenditure (R&E) - for guidance see RM Section 4 Part 2.
The only post-war rating case concerned the valuation of Chessington Zoo - Surrey County Valuation Committee v Chessington Zoo Ltd KBD 1950 RIT Vol 43. Judicial approval was given to the valuation of the zoo on a full receipts and expenditure basis in preference to a valuation estimating the rent which would be given for the premises if used for domestic or institutional purposes, plus a percentage on the capital cost of erecting buildings and some addition for the primarily favourable transport facilities. It was also held that profits were not necessarily the sole element in arriving at the value of the premises. Other issues concerned the adjustment of the relevant accounts to derive the bid of the hypothetical tenant.
Given the above, a valuation based on the accounts will be the best starting point. It is essential that the accounts information is provided for at least three years prior to the Antecedent Valuation Date; full copies of audited accounts should be requested.
Where available this will give a comprehensive guide as to past trading achievements, identify any trend and enable the fair maintainable receipts to be estimated. The rental bid of the hypothetical tenant at the AVD can then be derived and will reflect likely future levels of receipts and expenditure.
Care needs to be exercised to identify abnormalities in the accounts. These can vary from such things as two Easter holiday periods in one accounting year to unseasonal poor weather and specific unusual trading circumstances.
Where the Zoo or Safari Park is in receipt of any grants, subsidies or subscriptions these should be added to the gross receipts where it can reasonably be assumed that they would be received by the hypothetical tenant on a continuing basis. However where the organisation either runs off-site activities, i.e. conservation or off-site research projects, then the funds spent sol