North West · 2025-26
Business Rates in Westmorland and Furness
Businesses in Westmorland and Furness paid £89.2m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Westmorland and Furness
Share of £38.6m total relief, 2025-26.
Westmorland and Furness at a glance
Westmorland and Furness granted £38.6m in relief overall, higher than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £17.0m in Small Business Rate Relief and £9.1m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £6.7m went to charity relief and £2.6m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Westmorland and Furness has an estimated 11,455 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Westmorland and Furness ranks 161 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 Westmorland and Furness rose by 19.0% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Westmorland and Furness?
Westmorland and Furness's local authority collected £89.2m 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 Westmorland and Furness?
Westmorland and Furness granted £38.6m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £17.0m in Small Business Rate Relief, £9.1m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £6.7m in charity relief, and £2.6m 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.
Westmorland and Furness compared with the North West and England
- Average rateable value
- £16,680£8,649 below the North West average (£25,329)£17,310 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Other commercial property, 46.1%13.6 percentage points above its 32.5% share in the North West
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +19.2%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
With an average rateable value of £16,680, Westmorland and Furness has the 21st lowest figure of England's 296 councils and 31st of 35 in the North West. Other commercial property also accounts for the most properties in Westmorland and Furness, at 52.2% of its rateable properties.
Shops and other retail property account for 17.7% of Westmorland and Furness's rateable properties and 20.4% of its value, lower than the 25.1% and 22.4% across the North West. High-value property is limited in Westmorland and Furness: around 40 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, rising to around 50 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Of the 34 other councils in the North West, 25 saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Westmorland and Furness's +19.2% and 9 saw a stronger one. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in Westmorland and Furness: total rateable value up 28.0% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +25.6% for other commercial property across the North West. Even the weakest sector in Westmorland and Furness, retail property, rose 2.0% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, against +6.2% for retail property across the North West.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in Westmorland and Furness equalled 29.3% 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 Westmorland and Furness: 44.0% 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 Westmorland and Furness 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 Westmorland and Furness's £16,680.
- Business rates in Blackburn with Darwen UA£15,582 average rateable value, £1,098 lower than Westmorland and Furness
- Business rates in Ribble Valley£17,964 average rateable value, £1,284 higher than Westmorland and Furness
- Business rates in Burnley£15,358 average rateable value, £1,322 lower than Westmorland and Furness
- Business rates in Pendle£15,221 average rateable value, £1,459 lower than Westmorland and Furness
- Business rates in Blackpool UA£18,424 average rateable value, £1,744 higher than Westmorland and Furness
- Business rates in Rossendale£14,685 average rateable value, £1,995 lower than Westmorland and Furness
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Westmorland and Furness
By email.