estimated at highest and best use from a market participants perspective
Where there is no market-based evidence of current value because of the specialist nature of an asset, DRC is used as an estimate of current value.
Where non-property assets have short useful lives or low values (or both), depreciated historical cost basis is used as a proxy for current value.
From 1 April 2025, the Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting in the United Kingdom (the Code) requirements changed in respect of revaluations of property, plant and equipment. Where the council does not have a rolling programme of revaluations in place and/or the assets are not non-property assets subject to indexation, the council revalue their assets every five years, with annual indexation applied to assets during the four intervening years. Where the council cannot obtain indices without undue cost or effort, the council revalue those assets using a quinquennial revaluation, with a desktop revaluation in year three.
Where decreases in value are identified, they are accounted for by:
The Revaluation Reserve contains revaluation gains recognised since 1 April 2007 only, the date of its formal implementation. Gains arising before that date have been consolidated into the Capital Adjustment Account.
Assets are assessed at each year-end as to whether there is any indication that an asset may be impaired. Where indications exist and any possible differences are estimated to be material, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated and, where this is less than the carrying amount of the asset, an impairment loss is recognised for the shortfall.
Where impairment losses are identified, they are accounted for by:
Where an impairment loss is reversed subsequently, the reversal is credited to the relevant service line(s) in the Comprehensive Income and Expenditure Statement, up to the amount of the original loss, adjusted for depreciation that would have been charged if the loss had not been recognised.