East of England · 2025-26
Business Rates in South Cambridgeshire
Businesses in South Cambridgeshire paid £124.8m in net business rates during 2025-26, above the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in South Cambridgeshire
Share of £27.2m total relief, 2025-26.
South Cambridgeshire at a glance
South Cambridgeshire granted £27.2m in relief overall, higher than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £4.7m in Small Business Rate Relief and £2.3m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £14.2m went to charity relief and £5.3m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
South Cambridgeshire has an estimated 8,100 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
South Cambridgeshire ranks 283 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 office property in South Cambridgeshire rose by 25.7% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in South Cambridgeshire?
South Cambridgeshire's local authority collected £124.8m 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 South Cambridgeshire?
South Cambridgeshire granted £27.2m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £4.7m in Small Business Rate Relief, £2.3m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £14.2m in charity relief, and £5.3m 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.
South Cambridgeshire compared with the East of England and England
- Average rateable value
- £50,659£18,524 above the East of England average (£32,135)£16,669 above the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Office property, 39.9%26.2 percentage points above its 13.7% share in the East of England
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +19.6%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
South Cambridgeshire comes 34th of 296 English councils on average rateable value (£50,659) and 8th of 45 in the East of England. Office property also accounts for the most properties in South Cambridgeshire, at 36.1% of its rateable properties.
Shops and other retail property account for 8.7% of South Cambridgeshire's rateable properties and 5.2% of its value, lower than the 20.6% and 18.7% across the East of England. High-value property is limited in South Cambridgeshire: around 90 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, rising to 110 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Only 9 of the 44 other councils in the East of England saw a stronger change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than South Cambridgeshire's +19.6%. Office property saw the biggest rise in South Cambridgeshire: total rateable value up 25.7% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +13.2% for office property across the East of England. Even the weakest sector in South Cambridgeshire, retail property, rose 8.7% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, against +9.8% for retail property across the East of England.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in South Cambridgeshire equalled 17.7% 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 South Cambridgeshire: 52.4% 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 South Cambridgeshire 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 South Cambridgeshire's £50,659.
- Business rates in Harlow£48,362 average rateable value, £2,297 lower than South Cambridgeshire
- Business rates in Watford£53,441 average rateable value, £2,782 higher than South Cambridgeshire
- Business rates in Hertsmere£54,139 average rateable value, £3,480 higher than South Cambridgeshire
- Business rates in Stevenage£54,699 average rateable value, £4,040 higher than South Cambridgeshire
- Business rates in Thurrock UA£76,302 average rateable value, £25,643 higher than South Cambridgeshire
- Business rates in Cambridge£83,087 average rateable value, £32,428 higher than South Cambridgeshire
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for South Cambridgeshire
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