Agenda and draft minutes

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The meeting was not filmed or recorded.

To receive any apologies for absence.

None.

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of Urgent Business.  (Late items will be considered under the agenda item where they appear.  New items will be dealt with under item 6 below).

None.

None.

The Leader considered the report which proposed that Haringey join the  LGA and all London boroughs to form a pool of retained business rates from 1st April 2020.

A revised copy of the Memorandum of Understanding was tabled, as the original published copy contained some typographical errors:

-       Page 5 – ‘Financial Benefitto’

-       Pages 8 and 11 – ‘particpating’

-       Paragraph 6.1 – change to font sizes

-       Removal of the ‘draft’ watermark.

RESOLVED that Haringey participate in the London-wide Business Rates Retention Pool for 2020/21 and:

i.          The designation of the London Borough of Haringey by the Secretary of State as an authority within the London Business Rates Pool pursuant to paragraph 34(2) of Schedule 7B Local Government Finance Act 1988  in line with the Memorandum of Understanding at Appendix 1 be accepted;

ii.         that the London Borough of Haringey participate in the London Business Rates Pool  for the 2020/2021 financial year;

iii.       that the authority’s administrative functions as a billing authority pursuant to the Non-Domestic Rating (Rates Retention) Regulations 2013 be delegated to the City of London Corporation (“CoLC”) acting as the Lead Authority, and these functions to remain delegated to the City of the Corporate of London for subsequent financial years that the London Borough of Haringey decide to participate in the London Business Rates Pool;

iv.       that the Lead Authority be authorised to sub-contract certain ancillary administrative functions (regarding the financial transactions) within the Pool to the GLA as it considers expedient;

v.         that authority be delegated to the Chief Financial Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance & Strategic Regeneration, to agree the operational details of the pooling arrangements with the participating authorities;

vi.       to enter into such Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the participating authorities to implement and/or regulate the pool and delegate authority to the Chief Financial Officer (in consultation with the Assistant Director Corporate Governance) to negotiate, finalise and execute the same on behalf of the authority for 2020/21 at Appendix 1 and for any subsequent years any Memorandum of Understanding is required;

vii.      the Leader of the Council be authorised to represent the authority in relation to consultations regarding the London Business Rates Pool as may be undertaken by the Lead Authority pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding; and

viii.    that authority be delegated to the Chief Financial Officer the authority to consider such consultative reports as the Lead Authority may circulate and to respond on behalf of the authority with regard to any recommendations.

Reasons for decision

The Government designated a pan-London business rates pool in 2018-19, which piloted 100% retention in that year, and was revised to pilot 75% retention in 2019-20. It confirmed in September 2019 its intention not to renew the London pilot in 2020-21, and for London to revert back to the pre-existing 2017-18 67% retention scheme (which was a partial pilot, reflecting the incremental impact of the rolling in of the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) Revenue  ...  view the full minutes text for item 152.

To consider any items of urgent business as identified at item 3.

None.