This month, levy-paying businesses within the Vauxhall One BID area will receive their 2026–27 BID Levy demand notice.

This article explains what the BID levy is, why it is mandatory, how it is calculated and, most importantly, how levy income is reinvested locally in Vauxhall.

When will the levy bill arrive?

BID Levy demand notices for the 2026–27 financial year will be issued shortly.

The levy is collected on our behalf by Lambeth Council, in accordance with the Business Improvement Districts (England) Regulations 2004. The charge applies to all eligible non-domestic ratepayers within the defined Vauxhall One BID boundary.

The levy must be paid by the due date shown on the front of your notice.

If you have any questions regarding billing or payment, please contact:

London Borough of Lambeth Business Rates
PO Box 80771, London, SW2 9QQ
020 8315 2255 (Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5:00pm)
businessrates@lambeth.gov.uk

For general BID enquiries, please contact:

Vauxhall One
Ground Floor, The Coade, 92–98 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5EL
07393 230775
info@vauxhallone.co.uk
www.vauxhallone.co.uk

Is the BID levy mandatory?

Yes.

The BID levy is a mandatory charge. It applies to all non-domestic ratepayers of rated hereditaments within the Vauxhall One BID area with a rateable value of £20,000 and above.

The levy was approved by ballot and is applied in line with national BID legislation.

As with business rates, liability falls on the occupier of the hereditament on the relevant day. The levy is calculated using the BID rateable value and multiplier, applied daily across the chargeable period.

For 2026–27, the BID multiplier remains 1.56% of rateable value.

What does the BID levy fund?

Every pound of levy income is reinvested locally in Vauxhall. Unlike business rates, which fund borough-wide statutory services, the BID levy funds additional, locally targeted activity focused specifically on the Vauxhall area.

At a time when local authority budgets are under pressure, the principle of additionality is especially important. The BID levy enables Vauxhall to benefit from services and initiatives that go beyond baseline provision.

Our work is structured around five priorities:

Cleaner Vauxhall

We fund additional street cleaning and environmental maintenance beyond statutory services, particularly in high-footfall locations.

This includes responsive action when issues are raised by businesses and practical, day-to-day place management to keep shared spaces functioning well.

Consistency in cleanliness directly shapes perceptions of the area.

Greener Vauxhall

We deliver and maintain greening initiatives that improve the everyday environment.

Planting, seasonal displays and environmental enhancements help create a more attractive, welcoming place for staff, visitors and customers.

Greening is part of long-term place quality.

Safer Vauxhall

We coordinate practical reassurance measures in partnership with relevant agencies.

This includes visible presence, partnership working and information sharing to support confidence in the area.

We do not replace statutory policing, but we add local coordination and focus.

Better Vauxhall

We connect and engage businesses and community organisations, and ensure that local issues are followed up and do not fall between organisations.

In a complex area involving multiple agencies, developers and stakeholders, this coordination role is an essential part of how Vauxhall functions day to day.

Destination Vauxhall

We support and deliver activity that animates public spaces and promotes Vauxhall as a distinctive place to work, visit and invest.

Events and activation help drive footfall, strengthen local identity and support the wider business community.

Why additionality matters

Lambeth Council continues to provide core statutory services across the borough. However, local authority resources are constrained and must be prioritised across many competing demands.

The BID levy allows Vauxhall to maintain additional local focus – ensuring that improvements are consistent, responsive and tailored specifically to this area.

Without the BID, that additional layer of locally funded delivery would not be in place.

Accountability and transparency

Vauxhall One is business-led and business-funded.

Levy-paying businesses vote every five years on whether the BID should continue.

Priorities are shaped through ongoing engagement with businesses, and levy income is ringfenced for use within the BID boundary.

Each year, we publish a Review of the Year outlining how levy income has been reinvested in Vauxhall.

If you have questions

We understand that billing notices can prompt questions.

If you would like to discuss the levy, your business priorities or our current work programme, please contact the Vauxhall One team.

We value our relationship with every levy payer and remain committed to providing practical, visible support for Vauxhall throughout 2026–27.

Thank you for your continued contribution to the area.