There are other circumstances when you may qualify for a reduction if one of the following applies:
Rate Relief for Charities
Mandatory - Where a property is occupied by a charity and is used for charitable purposes then mandatory rate relief can be applied for. If granted this will be a reduction of 80% of the full charge, leaving the charity with the remaining 20% to pay.
In the case of an unoccupied property, where the ratepayer is a charity and it appears that when next occupied the property will be used for charitable purposes then mandatory rate relief can be applied for. If granted this will be 80% of the empty charge, leaving the charity with the remaining 20% to pay.
Discretionary -
In addition to the mandatory relief described above, the Council may grant discretionary relief in the following circumstances:
Where the 80% mandatory relief has been granted -
and the property is used for charitable purposes the Council may remit all or part of the remaining 20% of a charity's bill.
Where mandatory relief has not been granted -
An organisation that is not a registered charity may also claim relief, provided it is not established or conducted for profit and has a similar charitable status. The Council has the discretion to remit all or part of any rate bill in respect of a property occupied by such bodies.
Please contact the 
Business Rate Section for further information.
Hardship Relief
Where a ratepayer would sustain hardship through payment of the rate, we may grant relief where it would be reasonable to do so after considering the interests of the Council Taxpayers. If you wish to apply for hardship relief, please contact the Business Rate Section for further information.
Partly Occupied Properties
Where a ratepayer partly occupies a property then he may apply to the Valuation Office for the property to be split into two or more assessments. Click here for details of partly occupied properties
or ; If the part of the property is unoccupied for a short period (with the attention of re-occupation in the future) then the ratepayer can apply to the Council for relief under Section 44A. If you think is relief is appropriate, please contact the Business Rate Section for further information.
Rate Relief in Rural Settlements
Mandatory -
The ratepayer of a general store or Post Office in a settlement appearing on the Councils rural settlement list is entitled to rate relief, on occupied rate, if it is the only such store or post office in that settlement and its rateable value is £6000 or less. Relief is given at 50% of the full rate bill, or the transitional bill where transitional arrangements apply.
Discretionary -
The council can remit all or part of the remaining 50% if rural rate relief has already been granted. Please contact the Business Rates Section for further information. We can also remit all or part of rate bills on other property in a settlement on the rural settlement list if the rateable value is £12,000 or less and we are satisfied that the property is used for a purpose that benefits the local community.
Small Business Rate Relief
This is a new relief that becomes available from 1st April 2005.
The relief is available to ratepayers that fulfil the following criteria:
- Have a rateable value under £15,000 at the 1st April of any financial year
- Occupy the property
- Have one property in England, or
- Have one main property in England and other additional properties, providing the additional properties do not have individual rateable values of more than £2,200, and the combined rateable value of all the properties is under £15,000.
All eligable businesses will have their liability calculated using the small business multiplier. If the Businesses has a rateable values of below £5,000 will also receive a 50% rate relief on their liability. For businessess with rateable value of £5,000 up to £9,999 they will also receive relief but it will decrease from 50% on a sliding scale of 1% for every £100 of rateable value.
Eligible businesses with rateable values of between £10,000 and £14,999 will only have their liability calculated using the small business multiplier.
You must apply for the relief each year and be eligible on 1 April of each year. If your business ceases to be eligible on a day during the year in question, the relief will cease on that day. You must submit your application for the relief to your local authority within six months of the end of the financial year to which it relates.
Should you require further information please contact the Business Rate Section.
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