Agenda item

Report from the Executive Director of Corporate Services.

Recommendations:

1.    That Cabinet approve the applications for Discretionary Business Rate Relief for the organisations listed in Appendix 1 of this report and in accordance with the details set out in Section 6 to this report, for the 2026/27 financial year.

Consideration was given to the report which asked Cabinet to consider the renewal applications for the awards of Discretionary Business Rate Relief for the organisations and premises listed in Appendix 1 of the report. This was in accordance with the Council’s Discretionary Business Rates Relief Policy, approved by Officer Delegated Decision on 1 July 2025.

Central Government and councils shared every £1 of rates due as follows: Central Government (50%);  South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority (1%); and Rotherham MBC (49%).

The estimated total cost of granting the relief for the financial year 2026/27 was set out in paragraph 6.5 alongside the specific cost to the Council. The figures were based on the business rates multipliers for 2026/27 announced by the Government at the Autumn budget and on the 2026 Draft Rating List published by the Valuation Office Agency at the same time as the Autumn budget.

As the business rates multipliers were changing from 1 April 2026, assumptions had been made as to the appropriate multiplier to apply when calculating the level of relief and had taken no account of any transitional relief a ratepayer may be entitled to. The transitional relief scheme for 2026/27 had not yet been finalised and was awaiting Regulations being laid in Parliament. Should any ratepayer be entitled to transitional relief, the level of discretionary relief would be reduced to reflect the reduced level of business rates liability.

The Value of Proposed Business Rates Discretionary Relief Renewals was:

Year             Total Amount of Relief                 Cost to RMBC (49%)

2026/27        £853,572.19                                £418,250.37

Resolved:

1.    That Cabinet approve the applications for Discretionary Business Rate Relief for the organisations listed in Appendix 1 of this report and in accordance with the details set out in Section 6 to this report, for the 2026/27 financial year.