Issue - meetings

The Leader of the Council considered the attached report and  noted that this addition to the Discretionary Rate Relief policy would allow the Council to maximise the distribution to local businesses of funding allocated to Haringey in accordance with the COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF): Local Authority Guidance issued on 15th December and subsequently.

RESOLVED

1.    To approve the Covid Additional Relief Fund Discretionary Rate Relief scheme set out in Appendix A.

2.    To delegate authority to the Director of Culture Strategy and Engagement, after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Jobs, and Community Cohesion, to amend the scheme to maximise the distribution of the Covid Additional Relief Fund funding without overspending the Government’s funding.

3.    To agree that awards of this additional discretionary rate relief are subject to the availability of Government funding for Covid Additional Relief Fund and that the scheme is available for the financial year 2021/22 only.

Reasons for decision

The Government has provided funding to support a discretionary rate relief scheme under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act to award rate relief to businesses as set out in COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF): Local Authority Guidance issued on 15^th December and subsequently.

Cabinet approval is required to update the Discretionary Discount Scheme using the Council’s powers under section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 as amended.

Alternative options considered

The alternative option considered was not to develop discretionary scheme, which would result in £3.8m of hardship funding not being made available to Haringey Businesses in need of support.