The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)
This Government are clear that helping small shops and businesses grow is a crucial part of rebalancing and rebuilding the economy. We are committed to providing businesses with the help they need to prosper by cutting red tape and giving local authorities the tools they need to promote economic growth.
Small shops and businesses are crucial to the country’s economy and they were hit hard by the financial legacy we were left. Discretionary discounts will give councils the ability to respond to local circumstances including supporting the local pub or post office if they are struggling or encouraging new start-up enterprises.
I am therefore pleased to announce that the Government intend to include in the forthcoming localism Bill the necessary provisions to:
allow for discretionary business rates discounts so that local authorities in England will be able to respond to local circumstances by reducing business rates bills;
simplify the process for claiming small business rate relief in England by removing the legal requirement for ratepayers to submit an application form.
The Government are already helping an estimated 500,000 ratepayers who are eligible for small business rate relief by doubling the normal discount for next year, worth £390 million. Approximately 345,000 of those could pay no rates at all. We want to see as many small business ratepayers as possible claim their tax cuts in the future and we are cutting the unnecessary red tape.
In addition we will amend secondary legislation to ensure that all eligible businesses in England automatically have their discounted bills calculated using the small business multiplier.
We will also ensure through the localism Bill that all future business rates supplements for England and Wales, where they fund either more or less than a third of the overall project, will have to be put to the ballot so that liable businesses can decide whether to impose the business rate supplement upon themselves.
We have already announced that the localism Bill will also contain the necessary provisions to cancel certain significant and unexpected backdated business rates bills. This will allow affected businesses, in ports and others across England, to move forward confidently, unburdened by the crippling debt imposed by this liability.
The Government have also set out radical new proposals to look at ways for local authorities to keep the business rates they collect locally. We are determined to give councils a genuine financial stake in their local economy and let them target their support at local shops, pubs, post offices and start-up enterprises.