Agenda item

Report attached.

Members considered a report of Councillor Peter Britcliffe, Acting Leader of the Council, that presented an extension of Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Non Domestic Rate Relief for the period 1^st April 2024 to 31^st March 2025 providing eligible businesses with a 75% rate relief on their business rates liability for this period.

The Head of Benefits, Revenues and Customer Contact provided Cabinet with a background to the scheme and referred to the announcement by the Chancellor at the Autumn Statement, of an extension to the business rates relief scheme for retail, hospitality and leisure properties.  He referred to how this would benefit and support businesses.

Approval of the report was not deemed a key decision.

Reasons for Decision

Cabinet was informed that at the Autumn Statement on 22 November 2023, the Chancellor had announced the extension of the business rates relief scheme for retail, hospitality and leisure properties, worth nationally an estimated £2.4 billion in 2024/2025.  This would support the businesses that make the high streets and town centres a success and help them evolve and adapt to changing customer demands.

Government had supported billing authorities and their preceptors by funding, in full, the discretionary reliefs awarded under these measures using grants delivered under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2033.

The administration of the discount scheme within this report was subject to restrictions laid out in Section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 which stipulated that any variation or termination of a discount scheme under Section 47 that would result in an increased financial liability for the ratepayer must be done at the end of a financial year and with 12 months’ notice.  By implementing this new scheme from 1^st April 2024, the council’s administration of business rates relief remained within its discretionary powers.

Further details were provided on:

·         Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief Scheme 2024/2025

·         Cash Caps

·         State Aid/Subsidy Control

Alternative Options

The scheme outlined in this report was provided to local ratepayers at no additional cost to the Council as discounts provided under the schemes were subsidised by Government.  Written and published guidance allowed for a consistent and fair application of the discount schemes.

The Council may extend the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief Scheme for each applicable time period to include more business types, however any expansion would be at additional cost to the authority and all business types are already covered within the Council’s broader discretionary powers via application and consideration on a case by case basis.  A further expansion of the scheme was therefore considered not to be required.

Resolved                           (1)   That the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Non Domestic Rate Relief Scheme 2024/2025 attached to the report, as Appendix 1, be approved and applied to business rates bills as soon as is reasonably practicable in order to provide businesses with certainty around their business rates liabilities for 2024/2025;   and,

                                (2)   That delegated authority be given to the Executive Director of Resources to undertake the calculation, collection, administration and recovery of National Non Domestic Rates in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1988, (as amended from time to time) and further government regulations that may be issued pursuant to the same.