Issue - meetings

Report of the Corporate Director (Resources, Environment and Cultural Services) on the Business Rates Pooling arrangement for 2020/21.

Cabinet agreed to give delegated authority to the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Executive Member for Resources, to submit an application for the 2021/22 Business Rates Pooling arrangement for Hertfordshire, if after full consideration, there is a financial case for doing so.

Report of the Corporate Director (Resources, Environment and Cultural Services) on the Business Rates Pooling arrangement for 2020/21.

The report reminded Members that Welwyn Hatfield has been part of a business rates pooling arrangement within Hertfordshire for the current 2020/21 financial year.

The pooling arrangement, which for 2020/21 had involved Welwyn Hatfield and 5 other Hertfordshire authorities, is beneficial as it means that 50% of business rates growth can be retained within the pooling area, as against 20% without a pooling arrangement.

The principle agreed by all Hertfordshire authorities is that pooling will be restricted to the combination of authorities which produces the greatest potential gain.

There is therefore no guarantee that Welwyn Hatfield will automatically be part of such a pool for 2021/22.  Furthermore, there is a possibility that no pool proposal will be made at all for Hertfordshire, depending upon the impact of the pandemic upon business rates growth.

Any proposal for a pool within Hertfordshire will need to be signed off by all section 151 officers of the prospective pool by 23 October 2020.

RESOLVED:

Cabinet agreed to give delegated authority to the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Executive Member for Resources, to submit an application for the 2021/22 Business Rates Pooling arrangement for Hertfordshire, if after full consideration, there is a financial case for doing so.