Adam Barnfield

Adam is Head of Business Rates at Vail Williams.

His property career began in 1999 and he has gained an in-depth knowledge of the rating discipline ever since.

In 2007, he joined Ruddle Merz and continued to grow his knowledge of business rates, providing advice to a vast array of clients in respect of a vast spectrum of properties, from shops to sawmills and warehouses to football stadiums, across the UK from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

Following the acquisition of Ruddle Merz by Vail Williams in 2017, he continues to provide expert advice in respect of new and his existing clients.

Adam currently provides advice in respect of the 2017 Rating List for clients located in both England and Wales.

His knowledge of business rates enables him to provide advice from all angles, including:

• Full/partial empty space relief – through applications to the local authorities
• Properties affected by road or building works, or other circumstantial events – through MCC (Material Change of Circumstance)
• Appeals (including to the Valuation Office if he believes a rateable value is incorrect)

All of the above is achieved by working closely with his clients.

Conducting surveys of all properties in the first instance, following that up with detailed analysis of his findings and providing advice on how to effectively challenge applied rateable values.

This culminates in negotiations with the Valuation Office (VO) to achieve savings on his clients’ behalf.

If resolution with the VO cannot be achieved, he represents clients at Valuation Tribunal where, for example, he achieved a reduction from £1,440,000RV to £1,290,000RV for a significant industrial unit in Hereford (Special Metals Wiggin Ltd).

Following a car crash, his aspirations to be a professional footballer / cricketer / kayaker / squash / badminton / tennis / rugby player were cut short.

He is working hard on getting back to full fitness and hopes to take up cycling in the near future. His other interests include modern history and trying to stop his children from being too noisy.