Billing Authority Reference for Complete Non-Residential / Business Property Rates Data

The request was partially successful.

Dear Dacorum Borough Council,

In terms of the Freedom of Information Act of 2000, could you please provide me with a complete and up-to-date list of all business (non-residential) property rates data for your local authority, and including the following fields:

- Billing Authority Code
- Firm's Trading Name (i.e. property occupant)
- Full Property Address (Number, Street, Postal Code, Town)
- Occupied / Vacant
- Date of Occupation / Vacancy
- Actual annual rates charged (in Pounds)

You provided this data to us originally in response to a FOI request (https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...), but there are severe data quality issues with the billing authority reference numbers in those data.

We use this reference in order to link your data to that from the master list at the Valuations Office Agency.

In terms of matching, 92% of the data match but, obviously, we would appreciate it if we could have a 100% match.

By way of example, here is a sample of non-matching references from your most recent data release, and the 'official' billing authority reference from the VOA:

Local Authority Billing Ref <------> VAO Billing Ref
215899940258 <------> 215899940253T1
015363575053 <------> 015363575334T13
614995930144 <------> 614995930108T2

These bear only a passing resemblance to the VOA reference.

We have assessed this by going back through the postcode for a sample set of properties and then selecting the correct address from the VOA list. This is impractical in general terms and would be solved if you are able to use the VOA’s original references.

Please could you correct these, or advise us how we should be reconciling your data to that of the VOA.

Yours faithfully,

Gavin Chait

Freedom Of Information Mailbox, Dacorum Borough Council

Dear Gavin,
Thank you for your request.
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Jake Seabourne, Dacorum Borough Council

3 Attachments

Dear Gavin Chait,

Please find the attachments in response to your recent freedom of information request with Dacorum Borough Council.
Regards

Jake Seabourne | Systems Development and Finance Lead Officer | Dacorum Borough Council | Civic Centre | Marlowes | Hemel Hempstead | HP1 1HH

Telephone: 01442 228260 | Website: www.dacorum.gov.uk

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Dear Jake Seabourne,

Thanks very much for the data update and for your explanation. So, if I understand this, there is a lagging process during which new hereditaments are allocated references where the local authority and VOA would be out of sync?

Is there a formal process by which these anomalies are corrected (i.e. I need just be patient and it will be sorted out on a quarterly / semi-annual basis) or is it a bit more ad hoc than that?

Yours sincerely,

Gavin Chait

Jake Seabourne, Dacorum Borough Council

Morning Gavin,

Yes. However, it seems that some of these properties where they have not updated their reference records are quite old now!

There is a formal process of where we ensure our system is fully matched to the VOA, which is where we do a full comparison of our systems data against theirs. This I do three times a year, as this is when they provide a full system extract to all councils. When we do this full balance we compare all address, RV's and description codes of all properties... but not the property ref codes.
When we next do this, I will compare all address from our extract against the VOA's and pull out a list of all mismatched ref's. Then this will be what I send to the VOA to ask them to correct their data.

As it goes, the next full list they provide is already available and dated the 31/07. So when we do our next schedule and balance to this figure I will begin the full comparison.

I just hope after doing the work that the VOA have the resource to action our request... it would certainly make it easier form you point of view.

When I get to that point I will endeavour to let you know the outcome.

I hope this is all ok, if you have any further questions please let me know.

Regards
Jake

Jake Seabourne | Systems Development and Finance Lead Officer | Dacorum Borough Council | Civic Centre | Marlowes | Hemel Hempstead | HP1 1HH

Telephone: 01442 228260 | Website: www.dacorum.gov.uk

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Dear Jake Seabourne,

Thanks, yes, that's fine. As long as we know the reasons why we are unlikely to get 100% matching, we can work around it. However, if it helps, we'll be making semi-regular requests for the rates data and could provide a list of the non-matching properties each time?

Yours sincerely,

Gavin Chait

Jake Seabourne, Dacorum Borough Council

Gavin,
That would be helpful, but I think I will have a full list shortly as I am about to reconcile our data to the VOA.
I'm hoping that listing them out and comparing them will also give me that full list.

We have already got in touch with our contact at the VOA about who to pass this too... we are waiting to hear back!

Hopefully they will be able to get this admin up straight from their side by the next time you request data from them.

Kind regards
Jake

Jake Seabourne | Systems Development and Finance Lead Officer | Dacorum Borough Council | Civic Centre | Marlowes | Hemel Hempstead | HP1 1HH

Telephone: 01442 228260 | Website: www.dacorum.gov.uk

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