The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – Enterprise, Community and Resources, which requested approval for a discretionary business rate scheme for the distribution of Government financial support for businesses affected by the Covid pandemic, but were ineligible for existing support linked to business rates.
Members were advised that on 15 December 2021 Government announced that they would provide additional relief to businesses that did not qualify for any previous reliefs announced as part of the response to Covid-19. The new Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF) was £1.5 billion and the amount allocated to Halton was £3,087,468. The CARF support would be provided to businesses through rate relief to their 2021/22 business rate accounts, rather than via a grant payment.
Appended to the report was the Covid Additional Relief Fund Policy, which outlined the Scheme’s scope and eligibility, application process and how award amounts would be calculated.
RESOLVED: That
1) the Discretionary Covid Business Rate Additional Relief Policy included at Appendix A be approved; and
2) approval be given to the Operational Director – Finance, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services, to amend the Covid Business Rate Additional Relief Policy, to ensure the Council distributes the full amount of Government grant funding allocated for the Scheme.