Content

The Cabinet Member for Finance
requested further information on the criteria used to make the
decision whether to be able to grant Rate Relief to
organisations.
 

The Business Manager for
Environment, Revenues and Welfare explained that those charitable
organisations and those with a community interest received an 80%
relief from the government and were looking to receive
discretionary Rate relief on the remaining 20%.

Each applicant needed to submit their accounts and
decisions were based on the balance of their funds.  If they held sufficient funds to continue trading
for twelve months then they would not normally be eligible to
receive additional rate relief as they would have sufficient funds
to pay their business rate liability .

Some applicants were designated as approved for a
‘10% top up’ rather than the full 20%
relief.
 
It was asked whether late
applications were accepted.  It was
explained that whilst not encouraged, some organisations had not
been aware of the relief available from the previous year and their
applications had been considered.