These Regulations amend the Valuation for Rating (Plant and Machinery) (England) Regulations 2000 (“the 2000 Regulations”) by inserting a new regulation 2A.

Regulation 2 of the 2000 Regulations provides that the classes of plant and machinery listed in the Schedule are to be treated as being part of a non-domestic hereditament and therefore relevant to its value for the purposes of rates. Any other plant and machinery present at the hereditament is not relevant to its value.

New regulation 2A will apply to valuations for days on or after 1st October 2008 and has broadly the same effect. However, it also provides that where plant and machinery which is otherwise relevant to a hereditament’s value has microgeneration capacity, that capacity is not relevant to the value. The definition of “microgeneration capacity” for these purposes is based on the definition in section 26 of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006.

The new provision applies to any plant and machinery installed on or after 1st October 2008 and has effect between the date of installation and the first five-yearly revaluation of non-domestic hereditaments thereafter. The practical effect is that ratepayers who install plant and machinery with microgeneration capacity will not see any increase in their rates bills as a consequence until the next five-yearly revaluation.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.