Issue - meetings

Report No:   CAB/SE/17/037

Portfolio Holder: Ian HoulderLead Officer: Rachael Mann

RESOLVED:

That:

(1)     the principles of the proposed Discretionary Rate Relief Scheme 2017/2018 (following revaluation) and the guidelines as set out in Report No: CAB/SE/17/037 and its appendices, be approved; and

(2)     delegated authority be given to the Assistant Director (Resources and Performance), in consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Planning and Growth, and for Resources and Performance to agree the scheme guidance for 2018/2019 onwards, in line with the funding available and any feedback from businesses from the 2017/2018 scheme.

(Section 14.4 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Procedure Rules of the Constitution states that:

‘A decision will be urgent if any delay likely to be caused by the call-in process would seriously prejudice the Council’s or public interest.’

This decision is considered to be urgent and in accordance with the aforementioned rules, the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee has both agreed that the decision proposed is reasonable in all the circumstances and to it being treated as a matter of urgency, and therefore should be exempt from call-in.  This matter will be reported to the next available meeting of Council, together with the reasons for the urgency.)

The Cabinet considered Report No: CAB/SE/17/037, which sought approval for granting discretionary rate relief for businesses facing the steepest increases in their business rates as a result of the 2017 business rates revaluation.

The suggested Guidelines, as detailed in Appendix A attached to the report, set out the criteria to be taken into consideration in deciding whether rate relief should be given, the procedure for applications and an appeals process where there had been a refusal to grant relief.  Awards of relief would be reviewed annually and the Guidelines would help to determine which organisations should receive relief for the period commencing 1 April 2017.

It was also being proposed that delegated authority be given to the Assistant Director (Resources and Performance), in consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Planning and Growth and for Resources and Performance, to agree the scheme guidance for 2018/2019 onwards, in line with the funding available and any feedback from businesses from the 2017/2018 scheme.  Any major and significant changes to the overall design of the local scheme would be considered by Cabinet.

Councillor Ian Houlder, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet, including that subject to the proposals being approved, in order to provide clarification and certainty to businesses that may be eligible for the scheme, agreement be sought from the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the matter to be treated as a matter of urgency and therefore be exempt from call-in.  This would be in accordance with  Section 14.4 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Procedure Rules of the Constitution.

The Cabinet acknowledged the proposals would assist with preventing hardship for businesses most affected by the 2017 business rates revaluation and agreed the proposed scheme would help ease this pressure.  Seeking an exemption from call-in was also agreed to be a sensible approach. 

RESOLVED:

That:

(1)     the principles of the proposed Discretionary Rate Relief Scheme 2017/2018 (following revaluation) and the guidelines as set out in Report No: CAB/SE/17/037 and its appendices, be approved; and

(2)     delegated authority be given to the Assistant Director (Resources and Performance), in consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Planning and Growth, and for Resources and Performance to agree the scheme guidance for 2018/2019 onwards, in line with the funding available and any feedback from businesses from the 2017/2018 scheme.

(Subsequent to the meeting, the provisions contained in Section 14.4 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Procedure Rules of the Constitution were applied, which states: 

‘A decision will be urgent if any delay likely to be caused by the call-in process would seriously prejudice the Council’s or public interest.’

This decision was considered to be urgent and in accordance with the aforementioned rules. The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had both agreed that the decision proposed was reasonable in all the circumstances and to it being treated as a matter of urgency, and therefore being exempt from call-in.  This matter would be reported to the next  ...  view the full minutes text for item 354