Issue - meetings

Report No: CAB/JT/18/029

Portfolio Holders: FHDC Cllr James Waters and SEBC Cllr John Griffiths;

FHDC Cllr Stephen Edwards and SEBC Cllr Ian Holder

Lead Officer: Rachael Mann

(Report No: CAB/JT/18/029)

The Joint Committee received and noted this report, which provided an update on the West Suffolk place based projects under the 2018/2019 100% Business Rates Retention (BRR) Pilot for Suffolk, along with an update on the Government’s intentions regarding pilots for 2019/2020 and the new 75% retention scheme from 2020.

The West Suffolk ‘Place Based’ projects under the 2018/2019 pilot totalled £1.65m (as set out within paragraphs 4.3 to 4.18 of the report).  Further project proposals from the fund were in development and an update would be provided to Members in due course. 

On 24 July 2018, the Government published the 2019/2020 business rates retention pilot prospectus inviting local authorities in England to apply to become 75% business rates retention pilots in 2019/2020.  The Government had previously announced the aim of introducing a 75% business rates retention of how local authorities could best transition into the new system in 2020.

Applications for the 2019/2020 piloting programme were now open and would close on 25 September 2018.  West Suffolk continued to work across Suffolk looking at whether there was an opportunity to further extend the Suffolk Business Rates Pilot into 2019/2020.