Pipeline ratings in England change from 31 March 2026

Here’s the small but useful change you’ll see in business rates this spring. From 31 March 2026, the Government updates how long‑distance pipelines are listed for rating in England. The Central Rating List (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/172) were laid before Parliament on 26 February 2026 under the made negative procedure, with the housing and local government department recorded as the laying body. (statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk)

Before we go further: the central rating list is the Valuation Office Agency’s list for big network systems such as telecoms, power, water and cross‑country pipelines. Each named company has a single, aggregate rateable value for its qualifying network in England, and the rates on those assets are paid direct to the Secretary of State rather than to a local council. That’s why you sometimes won’t find these networks on your local list. (gov.uk)

Quick definition you can teach in one line: a hereditament is simply a rateable unit of non‑domestic property. For the 2026 revaluation, the compiled rating lists go live on 1 April 2026, so this pipeline update lands right before the new list starts. (gov.uk)

What counts as a long‑distance or ‘cross‑country’ pipeline? In UK law that means a line more than 10 miles long. For a pipeline to sit on the central list it should also run through more than one billing authority area and be occupied by a company specifically named (a ‘designated person’) in the regulations. Put together, those tests explain why fuel and chemical pipelines tend to be centrally rated. (gov.uk)

So what has changed in the text? The 2026 amending regulations update Part 12 of the 2005 Central Rating List rules-the part that covers long‑distance pipeline hereditaments. The refreshed wording ties the definition of “cross‑country pipeline” back to the Pipe‑lines Act 1962, keeping the rating rules aligned with the core statute that governs pipelines. (statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk)

Why centralise networks like these at all? Because a single pipeline can stretch across dozens of council areas. Central listing prevents repeated valuations and a patchwork of bills. The VOA explains that the central list primarily covers the network property of major transport, utility and telecoms undertakings and cross‑country pipelines, with one rateable value per named company. Think of it as one big, England‑wide entry for each operator. (gov.uk)

Who decides and how do you challenge an entry? On the central list the decision‑maker is the Central Valuation Officer, and disputes follow a slightly different route from local‑list appeals. If you ever need to contest a rateable value, you use the central‑list version of the check‑challenge‑appeal process. (gov.uk)

Who is responsible in government? The instrument sits with housing and local government. As of early 2026, Alison McGovern is Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness, with a brief that includes local government finance and business rates-so this kind of technical update falls squarely in her lane. (gov.uk)

What this means for classes, governors and anyone trying to read a rating bill: if a network asset is on the central list, you won’t see it itemised in the local list. You’ll instead see a single national entry for the operator, which keeps local data cleaner and avoids counting the same pipeline many times over. (gov.uk)

Timeline to remember: regulations in force on 31 March 2026; new revaluation lists begin on 1 April 2026. If you work in estates or finance for a pipeline operator, sense‑check which assets meet the central‑list tests and which stay on local lists so you’re ready for the 2026 list going live. (statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk)