Issue - meetings

Report by Head of Resources (attached).

Councillor Prowse declared a personal interest as a Chair of Bratton Fleming Sports Club.

The Committee considered a report by the Head of Resources (circulated previously) regarding Business Rates Relief.

The Head of Resources highlighted the following:

·         On 27 January 2020 the Financial Secretary to the Treasury made a Written Ministerial Statement announcing additional business rate measures that will apply from 1 April 2020. The report sought approval to incorporate these new measures in our Discretionary Business Rate Relief scheme from that date.  These measures included: Retail Discount, Local Newspaper Relief; and Pubs Discount.

·         The existing policy for the granting of Discretionary Non-Domestic Rates Relief, as previously approved in October 2017 and amended in April 2019, had been amended to incorporate these measures announced in the Written Ministerial Statement as detailed in Appendix A and no other changes have been made.

·         The Discretionary Business Rate Relief Scheme should be cost neutral and the Government would only reimburse the local authority up to the annual limit set.

It was noted that there was a typographical error contained in paragraph 1.2 of the report and it should have stated “….with effect from 1 April 2018”.