East of England · 2025-26
Business Rates in Bedford UA
Businesses in Bedford UA paid £87.9m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Bedford UA
Share of £21.6m total relief, 2025-26.
Bedford UA at a glance
Bedford UA granted £21.6m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £6.5m in Small Business Rate Relief and £2.8m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £7.1m went to charity relief and £3.1m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Bedford UA has an estimated 7,225 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Bedford UA ranks 138 out of 296 local authorities in England on the 2025 Index of Multiple Deprivation, where 1 is most deprived and 296 is least deprived.
Following the 2026 revaluation, the total rateable value of industrial property in Bedford UA rose by 19.3% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Bedford UA?
Bedford UA's local authority collected £87.9m in net business rates income during 2025-26, based on the national multiplier applied to each property's rateable value, less any relief granted.
What reliefs are available in Bedford UA?
Bedford UA granted £21.6m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £6.5m in Small Business Rate Relief, £2.8m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £7.1m in charity relief, and £3.1m in empty property relief.
How do I know if I'm overpaying?
If your rateable value looks high compared to similar properties nearby, or you're not currently receiving relief you may be entitled to, it's worth checking your assessment. Use our free checker to compare your rateable value and see if you may be eligible for a reduction or backdated refund.
Bedford UA compared with the East of England and England
- Average rateable value
- £37,938£5,803 above the East of England average (£32,135)£3,948 above the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Industrial property, 47.3%12.7 percentage points above its 34.6% share in the East of England
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +16.5%East of England: +18.3%England: +19.6%
Counts and rateable values are from the stock of properties at March 2026, on the 2023 rating list. Changes are from the 2026 revaluation, comparing the 2023 rating list with the 2026 rating list.
Property mix
At £37,938, Bedford UA's average rateable value ranks 81st of 296 councils in England and 17th of 45 in the East of England. Industrial property also accounts for the most properties in Bedford UA, at 30.7% of its rateable properties.
In Bedford UA, retail is 21.0% of rateable properties and 16.5% of rateable value; across the East of England the figures are 20.6% and 18.7%. High-value property is limited in Bedford UA: around 60 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, rising to around 70 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Of the 44 other councils in the East of England, 22 saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Bedford UA's +16.5% and 22 saw a stronger one. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in Bedford UA: total rateable value up 19.7% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +22.9% for other commercial property across the East of England. Even the weakest sector in Bedford UA, retail property, rose 5.5% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, against +9.8% for retail property across the East of England.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in Bedford UA equalled 18.7% of gross rates payable in 2025-26, below the 21.2% across English councils taken together. Of the four main reliefs, charity relief accounted for the most in Bedford UA: 32.8% of the total, above the England figure of 29.7%.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs, using Valuation Office Agency data, and MHCLG relief returns. Open Government Licence v3.0. Method and rounding: /methodology.
See how Bedford UA compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in East of England, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in the East of England
Other East of England councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to Bedford UA's £37,938.
- Business rates in Chelmsford£39,030 average rateable value, £1,092 higher than Bedford UA
- Business rates in Uttlesford£36,258 average rateable value, £1,680 lower than Bedford UA
- Business rates in Basildon£41,477 average rateable value, £3,539 higher than Bedford UA
- Business rates in Central Bedfordshire UA£41,853 average rateable value, £3,915 higher than Bedford UA
- Business rates in Luton UA£33,300 average rateable value, £4,638 lower than Bedford UA
- Business rates in West Suffolk£31,663 average rateable value, £6,275 lower than Bedford UA
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Bedford
By email.