The Business Rates Crisis: What Every Workspace Operator Needs to Do Now with Jane Sartin скачать в хорошем качестве

The Business Rates Crisis: What Every Workspace Operator Needs to Do Now with Jane Sartin

“I’m currently aware of two operators on the smaller size that have been handed £400,000 backdated bills... being hit with backdated business rates bills would clearly be business destroying.” - Jane Sartin Tired of running yourself into the ground? Then stop running alone. On February 24th, the London Coworking Assembly presents Unreasonable Connection Goes Live!—a one-day working session for the people running London’s most vital neighbourhood spaces and the public sector allies working to help them thrive. It’s a day to share the load, find real solutions, and build a new playbook, together. This isn’t a warning about something that might happen. It’s already happening. Two operators have received six-figure backdated bills. The letters arrived without warning. The amounts are payable now. Jane Sartin is the Executive Director of the Flexible Space Association. She’s spent this year in rooms with ministers, civil servants, and treasury officials trying to stop a policy change that could wipe out independent workspace operators across the country. The fight has been going on longer than you know. In 2023, the same issue emerged. FlexSA resolved it quietly behind the scenes — most of the industry never even knew. Then it came back in spring 2024. This time, ministers kept batting Jane back to the VOA. “It’s a technical matter for the agency,” they said. “Not a political decision for government.” So Jane went public. Here’s what’s working: the minister has acknowledged the pressure. “I am aware of this,” he’s told people. “I know. I’ve had a number of letters.” The letters are landing. The campaign is having an effect. But the power of Jane’s ministerial meeting next week depends entirely on how many more letters arrive before she walks into that room. One email gets ignored. Fifty emails from operators in the same constituency? That’s a political problem that demands a response. This episode tells you exactly what’s happening and what to do about it. Timeline Highlights [00:02] “Your workspace is under attack. Might be a little bit dramatic for this, but...” [01:26] “We exist to represent the industry. We operate as a membership body, but we play a wider role than that.” [02:57] “What they are doing is stopping the individual assessment of serviced offices and assessing the whole building or floor... as a single hereditament.” [04:20] “Talking publicly about potentially businesses based in serviced offices no longer being eligible for reliefs... could clearly spook customers.” [05:41] “We realised we were going to have to start bringing their attention to it by making more public noise about it.” [06:12] “I’m currently aware of two operators on the smaller size that have been handed £400,000 backdated bills.” [07:41] “It’s horribly complicated. I’ve learned a lot, even just this year, but by no means am I an expert.” [09:03] “FlexSA currently has commissioned some economic value research, which is being finalised at the moment.” [11:14] “If people haven’t already, I would definitely encourage them to write to their MP.” [12:43] “I’m a big believer in trying to keep things succinct... ideally, you don’t really want to be going to more than a page of A4.” [14:19] “He said, I am aware of this. I know. I’ve had a number of letters on this.” [18:41] “Being able to say this isn’t just a theoretical thing that might happen, it’s something that’s already happening. It’s really important.” [19:33] “I’m absolutely aware of operators that have had expansion plans but have put those on hold... the current uncertainty is putting them off.” [23:10] “Don’t feel like that’s a deadline because as much as I’d love to think that one meeting is going to fix it, realistically, I suspect it’s not.” They Tried This Before — It’s Back This is the second time FlexSA has fought this exact battle. In 2023, the same issue emerged. Jane worked to resolve it quietly, behind the scenes. It worked. The problem went away. Most of the industry never even knew how close they’d come. Then it came back in spring 2024. This time, quiet diplomacy hit a wall. Jane spent months in meetings, making the case privately. The response from ministers? “This is a matter for the VOA.” The message was clear: we’re not getting involved. That’s how systems protect themselves. The agency makes the decision. The politicians refuse responsibility. The operators are left holding bills they can’t pay. After months of being batted back, Jane made the call to go public. It carries risk — talking openly about members potentially losing their rates relief could spook customers. But staying quiet wasn’t working. What the VOA Is Actually Doing The Valuation Office Agency assesses properties for business rates. Historically, individual offices within a serviced workspace have been assessed separately. Small businesses occupying those offices can claim Small Business Rates Relief — often ...