East Midlands · 2025-26
Business Rates in North Kesteven
Businesses in North Kesteven paid £31.0m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in North Kesteven
Share of £10.9m total relief, 2025-26.
North Kesteven at a glance
North Kesteven granted £10.9m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £4.6m in Small Business Rate Relief and £1.5m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £2.7m went to charity relief and £1.4m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
North Kesteven has an estimated 4,135 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
North Kesteven ranks 229 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 North Kesteven rose by 16.2% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in North Kesteven?
North Kesteven's local authority collected £31.0m 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 North Kesteven?
North Kesteven granted £10.9m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £4.6m in Small Business Rate Relief, £1.5m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £2.7m in charity relief, and £1.4m 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.
North Kesteven compared with the East Midlands and England
- Average rateable value
- £24,045£4,557 below the East Midlands average (£28,602)£9,945 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Other commercial property, 42.1%13.2 percentage points above its 28.9% share in the East Midlands
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +15.0%East Midlands: +16.4%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 £24,045, North Kesteven's average rateable value ranks 202nd of 296 councils in England and 24th of 35 in the East Midlands. Industrial property makes up the largest share of North Kesteven's rateable properties (40.3%), but other commercial property carries the most rateable value (42.1%).
Shops and other retail property account for 15.7% of North Kesteven's rateable properties and 11.6% of its value, lower than the 23.3% and 18.5% across the East Midlands. High-value property is limited in North Kesteven: around 20 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, unchanged at around 20 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Of the 34 other councils in the East Midlands, 17 saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than North Kesteven's +15.0% and 17 saw a stronger one. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in North Kesteven: total rateable value up 17.2% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +20.3% for other commercial property across the East Midlands. Even the weakest sector in North Kesteven, retail property, rose 3.3% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, against +9.7% for retail property across the East Midlands.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in North Kesteven equalled 23.4% of gross rates payable in 2025-26, above the 21.2% across English councils taken together. Of the four main reliefs, Small Business Rate Relief accounted for the most in North Kesteven: 42.7% of the total, above the England figure of 28.0%.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs, using Valuation Office Agency data, and MHCLG relief returns. Open Government Licence v3.0. Method and rounding: /methodology.
See how North Kesteven compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in East Midlands, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in the East Midlands
Other East Midlands councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to North Kesteven's £24,045.
- Business rates in South Kesteven£24,178 average rateable value, £133 higher than North Kesteven
- Business rates in Chesterfield£24,396 average rateable value, £351 higher than North Kesteven
- Business rates in Amber Valley£23,252 average rateable value, £793 lower than North Kesteven
- Business rates in South Holland£22,381 average rateable value, £1,664 lower than North Kesteven
- Business rates in Boston£22,268 average rateable value, £1,777 lower than North Kesteven
- Business rates in Mansfield£22,268 average rateable value, £1,777 lower than North Kesteven
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for North Kesteven
By email.