Issue - meetings

[To approve amendments to the Council’s local scheme for the Business Rate Discretionary Relief]

1.       That the following additions to the local scheme for Business Rate Discretionary Relief be approved:

a.       Discretionary relief (local newspapers) scheme

b.       Discretionary relief (supporting small businesses) scheme

c.       Discretionary relief (pubs) scheme

2.       That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources in consultation with the Director of Finance to finalise the policy detail on receipt of Government Guidance.

3.       That authority be delegated to the Head of Revenues and Benefits to award relief in respect of these new additions to the scheme.

4.       That it be noted that a further report on discretionary transitional relief would be presented after the Government had published a response to its consultation on operation of the scheme.

Cllr Andrew Johnson presented the report which sought approval to include three new categories within the Council’s local scheme for Business Rate Discretionary Relief with effect from 1 April 2017. The prosed changes were as a result of an announcement by the Government in the March 2017 budget of three new measures to provide additional support to businesses facing increases in business rates because of the national revaluation.  In each case the Government expected that billing authorities would use their discretionary relief powers under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to deliver the new reliefs.

Resolved:

1.     That the following additions to the local scheme for Business Rate Discretionary Relief be approved:

a.      Discretionary relief (local newspapers) scheme

b.      Discretionary relief (supporting small businesses) scheme

c.       Discretionary relief (pubs) scheme

2. That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources in consultation with the Director of Finance to finalise the policy detail on receipt of Government guidance.

3. That authority be delegated to the Head of Revenues and Benefits to award relief in respect of these new additions to the scheme.

4.     That it be noted that a further report on discretionary transitional relief would be presented after the Government had published a response to its consultation on the operation of the scheme.