East Midlands · 2025-26
Business Rates in South Kesteven
Businesses in South Kesteven paid £45.3m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in South Kesteven
Share of £13.7m total relief, 2025-26.
South Kesteven at a glance
South Kesteven granted £13.7m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £5.1m in Small Business Rate Relief and £1.9m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £4.3m went to charity relief and £1.0m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
South Kesteven has an estimated 6,115 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
South Kesteven ranks 196 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 South 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 South Kesteven?
South Kesteven's local authority collected £45.3m 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 Kesteven?
South Kesteven granted £13.7m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £5.1m in Small Business Rate Relief, £1.9m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £4.3m in charity relief, and £1.0m 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 Kesteven compared with the East Midlands and England
- Average rateable value
- £24,178£4,424 below the East Midlands average (£28,602)£9,812 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Industrial property, 34.7%9.5 percentage points below its 44.2% share in the East Midlands
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +16.0%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 £24,178, South Kesteven's average rateable value ranks 199th of 296 councils in England and 23rd of 35 in the East Midlands. Industrial property also accounts for the most properties in South Kesteven, at 29.3% of its rateable properties.
Shops and other retail property account for 25.3% of South Kesteven's rateable properties and 25.5% of its value, higher than the 23.3% and 18.5% across the East Midlands. High-value property is limited in South Kesteven: around 30 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, unchanged at around 30 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Of the 34 other councils in the East Midlands, 22 saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than South Kesteven's +16.0% and 12 saw a stronger one. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in South Kesteven: total rateable value up 18.7% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +20.3% for other commercial property across the East Midlands. Even the weakest sector in South Kesteven, office property, rose 10.3% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, against +5.9% for office property across the East Midlands.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in South Kesteven equalled 22.6% 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 South Kesteven: 37.4% 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 South 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 South Kesteven's £24,178.
- Business rates in North Kesteven£24,045 average rateable value, £133 lower than South Kesteven
- Business rates in Chesterfield£24,396 average rateable value, £218 higher than South Kesteven
- Business rates in Oadby & Wigston£24,398 average rateable value, £220 higher than South Kesteven
- Business rates in Leicester UA£24,600 average rateable value, £422 higher than South Kesteven
- Business rates in Gedling£24,827 average rateable value, £649 higher than South Kesteven
- Business rates in Amber Valley£23,252 average rateable value, £926 lower than South Kesteven
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for South Kesteven
By email.