South West · 2025-26
Business Rates in Cheltenham
Businesses in Cheltenham paid £61.1m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Cheltenham
Share of £15.6m total relief, 2025-26.
Cheltenham at a glance
Cheltenham granted £15.6m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £3.8m in Small Business Rate Relief and £3.2m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £4.4m went to charity relief and £2.5m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Cheltenham has an estimated 5,235 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Cheltenham ranks 234 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 retail property in Cheltenham rose by 1.0% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Cheltenham?
Cheltenham's local authority collected £61.1m 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 Cheltenham?
Cheltenham granted £15.6m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £3.8m in Small Business Rate Relief, £3.2m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £4.4m in charity relief, and £2.5m 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.
Cheltenham compared with the South West and England
- Average rateable value
- £36,766£12,822 above the South West average (£23,944)£2,776 above the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Retail property, 35.5%12.8 percentage points above its 22.7% share in the South West
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +13.6%South West: +17.7%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
Cheltenham comes 84th of 296 English councils on average rateable value (£36,766) and 4th of 27 in the South West. Office property makes up the largest share of Cheltenham's rateable properties (29.9%), but retail property carries the most rateable value (35.5%).
Shops and other retail property account for 27.6% of Cheltenham's rateable properties and 35.5% of its value, higher than the 20.1% and 22.7% across the South West. High-value property is limited in Cheltenham: around 30 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, rising to around 40 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Only 3 of the 26 other councils in the South West saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Cheltenham's +13.6%. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in Cheltenham: total rateable value up 24.2% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +23.0% for other commercial property across the South West. Even the weakest sector in Cheltenham, retail property, rose 1.0% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, against +7.7% for retail property across the South West.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in Cheltenham equalled 19.6% 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 Cheltenham: 28.1% of the total, close to 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 Cheltenham compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in South West, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in the South West
Other South West councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to Cheltenham's £36,766.
- Business rates in Bristol UA£36,157 average rateable value, £609 lower than Cheltenham
- Business rates in Exeter£38,259 average rateable value, £1,493 higher than Cheltenham
- Business rates in Tewkesbury£34,265 average rateable value, £2,501 lower than Cheltenham
- Business rates in Gloucester£34,033 average rateable value, £2,733 lower than Cheltenham
- Business rates in Swindon UA£49,560 average rateable value, £12,794 higher than Cheltenham
- Business rates in South Gloucestershire UA£50,084 average rateable value, £13,318 higher than Cheltenham
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Cheltenham
By email.