The document below provides information on Business Rates payable for properties in our administrative area. The document is updated quarterly – in February, May, August and November each year.
Some details have not been published; in particular, those instances where the relevant exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 can be applied.
Names of Individuals
The name of a Business Rates payer who is an individual is considered to be personal information. Therefore, it is exempt from disclosure under Section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act.
Empty Properties
Empty property within the city is not identified in the spread sheet. The exemption under Section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act, which relates to the prevention of crime, has been applied.
This is a qualified exemption under the Act and, as such, is subject to a public interest test.
As the disclosure of information about empty property could lead to properties being a focus of criminal activity, the Council believes that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs any public interest in releasing the data.
Hardship Relief
Those businesses in receipt of hardship relief have not been identified in the spread sheet. The exemption under Section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act (information likely to prejudice commercial interests) is applicable. This, too, is a qualified exemption under the Act and, as such, is subject to the public interest test.
Disclosure of information about the hardship relief may indicate the viability of the businesses concerned and, therefore, risks putting those businesses at a financial disadvantage.
It is also in the wider public interest of general commercial stability to protect information on hardship relief. In the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption is considered to be greater than the public interest in the information being disclosed.
Credits
Information about Business Rates credits is not published as this information may be used to try to claim refunds fraudulently. The Council works to refund these credits on a weekly basis, as part of its routine housekeeping process, and therefore any information published may already be out-of-date and possibly misleading.
Written On Credits
Information about Business Rates credits that we have written on or back is now published on a quarterly basis. Please note the majority of these credit write ons are for accounts which have had arrears previously written off and then we have received funds back to offset the original write off. We will only accept enquiries on these cases from the Administrator or Insolvency Practioner who is autorised to deal with the account.
Further Information
Further information on Business Rates can be obtained from the Valuation Office Agency website.
