Issue - meetings

The Assistant Director, Customer Services & Digital and the Head of Customer, Resident & Exchequer Services to present a report which provides details of the new policy for discretionary rate relief arising from the Spring Budget 2017.

Resolved:     That the Executive approves:

a)           The new policy at Annex A of the report for discretionary rate relief for those businesses hardest hit by the business rate revaluation as set out in the Government Spring Budget 2017;

b)           The new policy at Annex B for business rate relief in respect of the York Central Enterprise Zone;

c)           That minor changes can be made (Paragraph 22 of the report) to either policy (Annex A & B) by the Director of Customer & Corporate Services in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance & Performance.

Reason:        a)      To provide a transparent process for awarding discretionary rate relief and supporting local businesses.

                       b)      To provide a transparent process to encourage businesses to relocate to the Enterprise Zone and grow the York economy.  

                       c)      To provide flexibility to amend either scheme quickly if required without fundamentally altering the purpose of the policies.

Members considered a report which provided details of and sought authorisation for the new policies for discretionary rate relief arising from the Spring Budget 2017 and associated with the new Enterprise Zone in York Central.

It was noted that that there would be a minor amendment to the York Central Enterprise Zone Business Rates Discount Scheme (Annex B), in that an additional paragraph would be added to include the same decision making process set out in the Discretionary Rate Relief Policy (Annex A).

With regards to valuation, it clarified that whilst the methodology was out of the Council’s control, businesses could appeal if they felt the valuation was incorrect.

Resolved:     That the Executive approves:

a)           The new policy at Annex A of the report for discretionary rate relief for those businesses hardest hit by the business rate revaluation as set out in the Government Spring Budget 2017;¹

b)           The new policy at Annex B for business rate relief in respect of the York Central Enterprise Zone;²

c)           That minor changes can be made (Paragraph 22 of the report) to either policy (Annex A & B) by the Director of Customer & Corporate Services in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance & Performance.³

Reason:        a)      To provide a transparent process for awarding discretionary rate relief and supporting local businesses.

                       b)      To provide a transparent process to encourage businesses to relocate to the Enterprise Zone and grow the York economy.  

                       c)      To provide flexibility to amend either scheme quickly if required without fundamentally altering the purpose of the policies.