BURY has a new valuation officer. Mr John Smallwood now has the responsibility for more than 82,000 businesses and homes throughout the Bury area.

He is the newly-appointed group valuation officer for the Valuation Office in Greater Manchester.

John and his 170 staff in five teams in Manchester and Stockport are responsible for ensuring that more than 1.1 million domestic dwellings in Greater Manchester are put into the correct tax bands.

He and his colleagues also assess the rateable values of some 91,600 businesses as well as managing appeals from the public who wish to challenge their council tax band or rateable value.

In Bury, they are responsible for assessing some 5,100 businesses and more than 77,000 dwellings.

John is a chartered surveyor and joined the Valuation Office in 1973. The 46-year-old is no stranger to Greater Manchester and has worked in most areas of the North West.