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List description: Racing Stables & Premises

Primary description code: LX

SCAT code: 229

SCAT suffix: G

Bulk Class: M

3.1 The Animal & Rural Class Co-ordination Team (CCT) has overall responsibility for the co-ordination of this class. Each Regional Valuation Unit (RVU) has a representative on the team. The team is responsible for the approach to and the accuracy and consistency of racing stables.

4.1 RVU will be responsible for referencing, gathering facts and valuation.

4.2 The Animal & Rural CCT will deliver practice notes describing the valuation basis for revaluation and provide advice as necessary during the life of the rating lists.Caseworkers have a responsibility to;

• follow the advice given at all times practice notes are mandatory,
• not depart from the advice given on check, challenge, appeal (CCA) or maintenance work without approval from the CCT, and
• seek advice from the CCT before starting any new work.

5.1 Trainers of racehorses vary from those with a permit who train a few horses for themselves and immediate family, to fully licensed trainers who may have more than 200 horses in training on behalf of many owners. In all cases they must satisfy strict requirements that they are suitably qualified to train racehorses and that their premises, known as a yard, meet the standards expected for the proper care of racehorses.

6.1 Inspections should be carried out in accordance with the Valuation Office Agency Property Inspector Manual.

6.2 Racing stables should be measured to Gross Internal Area (GIA) for rating purposes in accordance with the RICS Code of Measuring Practice 6th edition or its replacement.

6.3 When inspecting a racing stable, property inspectors should record the location and description of the racing stable to include the following:

• location
• site - size, shape, and topography
• buildings infrastructure - number and type of stables
• ancillaries tack rooms, storage, arenas etc
• gallops length, construction, and surface
• land agricultural, turn out and domestic boundary
• services - heating energy source and water source
• car parking
• photographs of the main constituent parts of the site.

6.4 An inspection checklist is appended to this section (Appendix 1) and should be completed for all new properties, updated for maintenance work, and stored in the property folder of the Electronic Document Records Management (EDRM) system.

7.1 Rating surveys should be captured on the Rating Support Application (RSA). Plans and surveys should be stored in the property folder of Electronic Document and Records Management (EDRM).

7.2 Historically, many different sub-location codes have been used to value this type of property across the country. For revaluations 2026 onward, the national sub location of RACE should be used.

7.3 The common use codes used to record the various stables/boxes that may comprise a racing yard are outlined in the table below. These should be recorded as units, e.g.,12 stables and not in square metres.

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