Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendations.

The Chief Officer (Community and Enterprise) sought approval of a review of the Discretionary Rate Relief (DRR) Scheme which would review the current levels of rate relief and potentially provide efficiencies for the Council to help bridge the budget gap from 2017/18 and beyond.

            Councillor Attridge asked if it the letters to all business ratepayers currently in receipt of DRR would be able to be sent out in January.  The Chief Officer explained that if the review was approved by Cabinet and not the subject of a call-in, the letters could be finalised and sent out within one week.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the review of Discretionary Rate Relief leading to the development of a new scheme which could be implemented from April 2017 be approved; and

(b)       That the despatch of letters in January 2016 to all business ratepayers with the statutory 12 months lead in time to revoke the current scheme and the existing level of awards before changes to Discretionary Rate Relief levels are implemented in 2017-18.

Councillors Bithell and Brown left the room during consideration of this item.