Issue - meetings

(Finance & Technology Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-086-2013/14).

(1)        That the existing Discretionary Rate Relief Policy be amended to include a Retail Rate Relief Policy, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance & Technology presented a report on the Discretionary Retail Rate Relief Policy.

The Portfolio Holder reported that the Council had a well-established and effective Discretionary Rate Relief Policy covering relief for non-profit organisations such as sports clubs and certain charities including St Claire’s Hospice and local Cubs and Scouts organisations. However, the Government announced in the Autumn Statement on 5 December 2013 that it would provide relief of up to £1,000 to all occupied retail properties with a rateable value of £50,000 or less that were wholly or mainly being used as shops, restaurants, cafes and drinking establishments. The relief would be granted in each of the years 2014/15 and 2015/16 only, and the Government would fully fund the cost of the relief. The Council had recently received guidance from the Department of Communities & Local Government regarding this relief and each local authority was to set up a local scheme and award a discretionary relief under section 69 of the Localism Act 2011. Therefore it was necessary to amend the existing policy and the local scheme as laid out in Appendix 1 of the report, which drew upon the guidance received from the Government.

Decision:

(1)        That the existing Discretionary Rate Relief Policy be amended to include a Retail Rate Relief Policy, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report.

Reason for Decision:

In order to grant Retail Rate Relief the Council had to adopt a local scheme, and in accordance with the discretionary rate relief powers contained within section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (as amended), decide in each individual case when relief should be granted.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

To vary the terms of the proposed scheme, although this was not recommended as there was a limit on the relief that the Government would fund.