South West · 2025-26
Business Rates in West Devon
Businesses in West Devon paid £12.0m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in West Devon
Share of £7.1m total relief, 2025-26.
West Devon at a glance
West Devon granted £7.1m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £3.1m in Small Business Rate Relief and £1.4m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £1.4m went to charity relief and £0.5m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
West Devon has an estimated 3,165 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
West Devon ranks 146 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 West Devon rose by 18.0% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in West Devon?
West Devon's local authority collected £12.0m 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 West Devon?
West Devon granted £7.1m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £3.1m in Small Business Rate Relief, £1.4m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £1.4m in charity relief, and £0.5m 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.
West Devon compared with the South West and England
- Average rateable value
- £14,343£9,601 below the South West average (£23,944)£19,647 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Other commercial property, 44.4%10.4 percentage points above its 34.0% share in the South West
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +18.1%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
West Devon ranks 290th of 296 English councils for average rateable value, at £14,343, and 25th of 27 in the South West. The same sector leads on numbers too: 42.8% of West Devon's rateable properties fall in the other commercial category.
Retail accounts for 19.6% of West Devon's rateable properties and 23.3% of its rateable value, compared with 20.1% and 22.7% across the South West. On the 2026 list, around 10 of West Devon's rateable properties have a rateable value of £500,000 or more.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
West Devon's +18.1% change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation sits mid-table in the South West: stronger than in 18 of the 26 other councils and weaker than in 8. The sharpest increase in West Devon was in other commercial property, where total rateable value rose 23.7% at the 2026 revaluation, compared with +23.0% for other commercial property across the South West. No sector fell in West Devon: office property moved least, up 7.9% at the 2026 revaluation, compared with +18.7% for office property across the South West.
Reliefs
In 2025-26, relief in West Devon came to 37.6% of gross rates payable, above the 21.2% for England as a whole. Small Business Rate Relief was the largest of the four main reliefs in West Devon, at 43.9% of total relief, above 28.0% across England.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs, using Valuation Office Agency data, and MHCLG relief returns. Open Government Licence v3.0. Method and rounding: /methodology.
See how West Devon 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 West Devon's £14,343.
- Business rates in Cornwall UA£14,496 average rateable value, £153 higher than West Devon
- Business rates in South Hams£14,795 average rateable value, £452 higher than West Devon
- Business rates in Forest of Dean£15,157 average rateable value, £814 higher than West Devon
- Business rates in Torridge£11,287 average rateable value, £3,056 lower than West Devon
- Business rates in Dorset UA£17,498 average rateable value, £3,155 higher than West Devon
- Business rates in Isles of Scilly£8,791 average rateable value, £5,552 lower than West Devon
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for West Devon
By email.