North West · 2025-26
Business Rates in Lancaster
Businesses in Lancaster paid £64.2m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Lancaster
Share of £17.3m total relief, 2025-26.
Lancaster at a glance
Lancaster granted £17.3m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £6.0m in Small Business Rate Relief and £2.9m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £6.3m went to charity relief and £1.7m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Lancaster has an estimated 4,585 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Lancaster ranks 111 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 Lancaster rose by 21.1% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Lancaster?
Lancaster's local authority collected £64.2m 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 Lancaster?
Lancaster granted £17.3m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £6.0m in Small Business Rate Relief, £2.9m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £6.3m in charity relief, and £1.7m 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.
Lancaster compared with the North West and England
- Average rateable value
- £31,654£6,325 above the North West average (£25,329)£2,336 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Other commercial property, 64.2%31.7 percentage points above its 32.5% share in the North West
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +25.6%North West: +19.3%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
On average rateable value, Lancaster sits 122nd among England's 296 councils at £31,654, which is 8th of 35 in the North West. Other commercial property also accounts for the most properties in Lancaster, at 32.6% of its rateable properties.
In Lancaster, retail is 26.8% of rateable properties and 16.1% of rateable value; across the North West the figures are 25.1% and 22.4%. High-value property is limited in Lancaster: around 20 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, rising to around 30 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Only 1 of the 34 other councils in the North West saw a stronger change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Lancaster's +25.6%. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in Lancaster: total rateable value up 32.3% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +25.6% for other commercial property across the North West. Even the weakest sector in Lancaster, retail property, rose 5.7% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, in line with the +6.2% across the North West.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in Lancaster equalled 18.9% 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 Lancaster: 36.4% 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 Lancaster compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in North West, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in the North West
Other North West councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to Lancaster's £31,654.
- Business rates in South Ribble£31,474 average rateable value, £180 lower than Lancaster
- Business rates in St Helens£31,876 average rateable value, £222 higher than Lancaster
- Business rates in Trafford£32,698 average rateable value, £1,044 higher than Lancaster
- Business rates in Cheshire West and Chester UA£32,859 average rateable value, £1,205 higher than Lancaster
- Business rates in Liverpool£27,663 average rateable value, £3,991 lower than Lancaster
- Business rates in Warrington UA£38,215 average rateable value, £6,561 higher than Lancaster
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Lancaster
By email.