North West · 2025-26
Business Rates in West Lancashire
Businesses in West Lancashire paid £39.3m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in West Lancashire
Share of £12.1m total relief, 2025-26.
West Lancashire at a glance
West Lancashire granted £12.1m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £4.7m in Small Business Rate Relief and £1.8m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £3.9m went to charity relief and £0.9m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
West Lancashire has an estimated 4,455 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
West Lancashire ranks 159 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 Lancashire rose by 20.7% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in West Lancashire?
West Lancashire's local authority collected £39.3m 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 West Lancashire?
West Lancashire granted £12.1m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £4.7m in Small Business Rate Relief, £1.8m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £3.9m in charity relief, and £0.9m 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 Lancashire compared with the North West and England
- Average rateable value
- £26,660£1,331 above the North West average (£25,329)£7,330 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Industrial property, 46.4%16.2 percentage points above its 30.2% share in the North West
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +16.6%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, West Lancashire sits 171st among England's 296 councils at £26,660, which is 11th of 35 in the North West. The same sector leads on numbers too: 33.4% of West Lancashire's rateable properties fall in the industrial category.
Retail makes up 21.9% of West Lancashire's rateable properties and 16.6% of its rateable value, both below the 25.1% and 22.4% across the North West. At March 2026, around 20 of West Lancashire's rateable properties had a rateable value of £500,000 or more, unchanged at around 20 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
West Lancashire's +16.6% change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation sits mid-table in the North West: stronger than in 11 of the 34 other councils and weaker than in 23. The sharpest increase in West Lancashire was in industrial property, where total rateable value rose 20.7% at the 2026 revaluation, compared with +24.7% for industrial property across the North West. No sector fell in West Lancashire: office property moved least, up 1.9% at the 2026 revaluation, compared with +14.6% for office property across the North West.
Reliefs
In 2025-26, relief in West Lancashire came to 23.9% 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 Lancashire, at 39.1% 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 Lancashire 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 West Lancashire's £26,660.
- Business rates in Liverpool£27,663 average rateable value, £1,003 higher than West Lancashire
- Business rates in Cheshire East UA£25,164 average rateable value, £1,496 lower than West Lancashire
- Business rates in Salford£24,727 average rateable value, £1,933 lower than West Lancashire
- Business rates in Preston£23,466 average rateable value, £3,194 lower than West Lancashire
- Business rates in Sefton£23,159 average rateable value, £3,501 lower than West Lancashire
- Business rates in South Ribble£31,474 average rateable value, £4,814 higher than West Lancashire
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for West Lancashire
By email.