Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director of Finance and Customer Services.

Recommendations:

1.    That Cabinet approve the application for Discretionary Business Rate Relief for Rotherham Abuse Counselling Service in accordance with the details set out in Section 6 to this report for the 2022/23 financial year.

The Council had received an application for the award of Business Rates Discretionary Relief for Rotherham Abuse Counselling Service. In line with the Council’s Business Rates Discretionary Relief Policy, having regard to the financial cost of the proposed relief, the charitable use of premise and the contribution that the organisation makes to the local community, it was recommended that the award of discretionary relief be granted to Rotherham Abuse Counselling Service.

Rotherham Abuse Counselling Service was a registered charity which provided free counselling for women, men and young people who had experienced any form of sexual violence, sexual abuse, domestic abuse or harassment including survivors of child sexual exploitation.  The organisation benefitted from an award of discretionary relief at their existing premises which had been awarded continuously from 2019 to date. The property for which the application had been made was used to deliver the Independent Sexual Violence Advocacy (ISVA) service supporting the people of Rotherham who had experienced sexual violence and were pursuing a criminal justice process and included victims identified by Operation Stovewood. The organisation already benefitted from several grants including from the Council to deliver their service and the continuation of the modest additional assistance was considered in line with the criteria within the Council’s policy.

The total cost of granting the relief for the financial year 2022/23 was set out in section 6.3 of the report submitted. The total cost was £496.64 with the cost to RMBC being £243.35

Resolved:-

1.    That Cabinet approve the application for Discretionary Business Rate Relief for Rotherham Abuse Counselling Service in accordance with the details set out in Section 6 to the report submitted for the 2022/23 financial year.