The Non-Domestic Rating (Alteration of Lists and Appeals) (Wales) Regulations 2023

Procedure after a proposal is made

15.—(1) The VO must, within the period of 42 days beginning with the date on which the VO receives a proposal, serve a copy of the proposal on the ratepayer for that hereditament, unless the ratepayer is the proposer.

(2) In paragraph (1), the reference to the date on which the VO receives a proposal does not include a reference to the date on which the VO receives an incomplete proposal.

(3) A copy of a proposal served on a ratepayer must be accompanied by a statement of the effect of regulations 20 to 26.

(4) The VO must provide the relevant authority with the information specified in paragraph (5) within the period of 42 days beginning with the date on which—

(a) the VO receives the proposal, and

(b) the proposal is determined.

(5) The information is—

(a) the identity of the hereditament;

(b) the date the proposal was made in relation to the hereditament;

(c) the rateable value of the hereditament shown in the list on the date the information is given to the relevant authority;

(d) the proposed alteration;

(e) the date from which the proposer asserts that the proposed alteration should have effect;

(f) whether or not the proposal has been determined.

(6) The relevant authority may provide the VO with evidence relating to the proposal, and if it does so—

(a) the VO must provide a copy of that evidence to the proposer, and

(b) the proposer may provide the VO with further evidence in response to that evidence.

(7) On receipt of the proposal, where the VO considers it reasonable to do so, the VO must provide the proposer with any information the VO holds that relates to the particulars of the grounds of the proposal.

(8) Before the proposal is determined, the proposer in response to any information provided under paragraph (7) may provide the VO with further evidence to support the grounds of the proposal.

(9) Before the VO determines the proposal, if the VO receives any further information that relates to the particulars of the grounds of the proposal—

(a) where the VO considers it reasonable to do so, the VO must provide the proposer with that information;

(b) the proposer may provide the VO with further evidence in response to that information.

(10) Before the proposal is determined, the proposer may provide the VO with further evidence relating to the grounds of the proposal if that evidence was not known to the proposer and could not reasonably have been acquired by the proposer before the proposal was made.

(11) The proposer and the VO may agree in writing that the proposer may provide further evidence in circumstances not mentioned in paragraphs (6) to (10).

(12) Any evidence provided by the proposer under this regulation forms part of the proposal and must be provided to the VO—

(a) using the VO’s electronic portal, or

(b) in another manner agreed with the VO.