Decision Maker: Mid Suffolk Cabinet
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: Yes
It was RESOLVED: -
1.1 That Cabinet gave authority to the Assistant Director for Corporate Resources in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Finance and Economy to agree the COVID-19 additional relief fund policy.
1.2 That Cabinet agreed the retail, hospitality and leisure policy, transitional relief policy and supporting small business relief policy for 2022/23 as set out in Appendices a, b and c.
1.3 That Cabinet gave authority to the Assistant Director for Corporate Resources in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance to agree any future changes to the 2022/23 retail, hospitality and leisure discount policy.
1.4 That Cabinet gave authority to the Shared Revenues Partnership Operations Manager to administer the Covid-19 additional relief fund, discretionary retail, hospitality and leisure discount, transitional relief and supporting small business relief policies.
REASON FOR DECISION
To provide discretionary reliefs to support ratepayers in Mid Suffolk.
To enable the implementation of the discretionary schemes.
Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:
Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF)
2.1 Option 1 – Delegate authority to the Assistant Director for Corporate Resources in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Finance and Economy to agree a local discretionary COVID-19 additional relief fund policy once the modelling has been complete and system implications are understood.
A new policy can be introduced for the relief and applications can be invited from ratepayers.
2.2 Option 2 - Do nothing
There is no mandatory requirement on billing authorities to provide these discounts, however the Government is funding the scheme. It would therefore be an opportunity missed not to support local ratepayers.
Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Discount, Transitional Relief and Supporting Small Businesses Relief
2.3 Option 1 – Agree the draft policies in Appendices a, b and c. Delegate authority to the Assistant Director for Corporate Resources in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance to agree any future changes to the 2022/23 retail, hospitality, and leisure discount policy.
New policies can be introduced for the schemes. Delegations would be in place to allow the Council to act swiftly should the Government make any further changes to the scheme in the future.
2.4 Option 2 - Do nothing
There is no mandatory requirement on billing authorities to provide these discounts, however the Government is funding the scheme. It would therefore be an opportunity missed not to support local ratepayers.
Any Declarations of Interests Declared: None
Any Dispensation Granted: None
Publication date: 08/02/2022
Date of decision: 07/02/2022
Decided at meeting: 07/02/2022 - Mid Suffolk Cabinet
Effective from: 12/02/2022
Accompanying Documents: