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Business rates are a growing burden on businesses as compared to the rent charged by UK landlords, according to a report released today by the Property Industry Alliance. The Property Data Report 2015 has revealed that rental values, on the whole, have increased at a much slower rate than other business costs over the last 10 years, rising much more slowly than business rates and the rate of retail price inflation (3.1%). Since 2000, the value of the UK’s commercial property stock has grown at an annualised rate of 3.2%, slightly ahead of inflation. All other parts of the built environment have grown at a faster rate than commercial property. In particular, the value of the stock of residential property has grown much more quickly, at 6.2% per annum, reflecting greater increases in both values and the stock of housing. Notably, the number of flats and houses in the UK has grown annually at more than twice the rate of commercial floorspace. The retail sector has seen the slowes...