Agenda item

(a)  That the policies for Business Rates for 2018-19 onwards as set out in  Appendix A-H to the report be approved.

(b)  That the amended policy for Business Rates Revaluation Relief as set out in Appendix I to the report be approved.

The Cabinet considered a report that sought approval for a suite of policies for Business Rates for 2018/19 in respect of:

·  Discretionary Rate Relief for Charities and not for profit organisations;

·  Partially Occupied Relief (Section 44a);

·  Hardship Relief;

·  General Rate Relief;

·  Revaluation Relief;

·  Inward Investment;

·  Public House Relief Scheme;

·  Council Tax Hardship Relief;

·  Amended policy for 2017-18 on Revaluation Relief.

The award of reliefs as set out in the policies was in line with government policy and there were no significant changes to any of the policies, other than their uprating.  The first four reliefs listed above would now have to be fully funded by the Council, having previously being 50% funded by government, however the overall impact of the Business Rates retention pilot was expected to have a positive net financial impact.  Most of the other reliefs were either funded by government, within limits, or the Council would be reimbursed providing the schemes operated within government guidelines.

At the conclusion of the discussion, the Cabinet agreed the policies as set out in appendices A to I of the report.

Resolved –

(a)  That the policies for Business Rates for 2018-19 onwards as set out in  Appendix A-H to the report be approved.

(b)  That the amended policy for Business Rates Revaluation Relief as set out in Appendix I to the report be approved.