Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director of Finance and Customer Services.

Recommendation:

1. That Cabinet approve the applications for Discretionary Business Rates Relief for The Rotherham Hospice Trust in accordance with the details set out in Section 6 to this report for the 2025/26 financial year.

Consideration was given to the report which detailed the application for Discretionary Business Rates Relief from the Rotherham Hospice Trust. The Rotherham Hospice Trust was a registered Charity and was the only adult hospice serving the people of Rotherham. The Hospice offered specialist palliative care through a range of holistic services aimed at supporting patients to live life as fully as they could to the end of their life.

The Charity ran retail and cafe outlets throughout the Borough which were operated with the sole purpose of generating income to help fund the running costs of the Hospice. There were currently ten outlets operating which were staffed and supported by a team of volunteers which reduced overhead costs and maximised the income to go into care services.

The Charity had benefited from an award for discretionary rate relief at their main hospice premises since 1 April 2005 and was now seeking additional support for the retail and cafe outlets which operated throughout the Borough.

Paragraph 6.3 of the report set out the 10 outlets that were seeking the award and the amount of award sought. A full application had been completed for each of the premises in accordance with the Council’s criteria. In total, the amount of relief was £22,678.69 with the cost to the Council totalling £11,112.56.

The applications for the award of discretionary relief were in line with the Council’s qualifying criteria as set out in its Policy. The Charity provided access to facilities which were open to all sections of the community and worked to reflect the diversity of local communities in service delivery, volunteering, and staffing.

Resolved:

1.    That Cabinet approve the applications for Discretionary Business Rates Relief for The Rotherham Hospice Trust in accordance with the details set out in Section 6 to this report for the 2025/26 financial year.