The Government announced in the Autumn Statement on 22 November 2023 an extension of new Business Rates relief scheme for retail, hospitality and leisure properties for the 2024/25 financial year.
Called the Business Rates Relief: 2024/25 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Scheme, eligible businesses will receive 75% relief for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
There will be a cap on the amount of relief any one business can receive across all of its assessments.
Assessments that are wholly or mainly being used:
Assessments that are wholly or mainly being used for the following services to visiting members of the public:
The above list is not exhaustive and it is up to the local authority to determine if any additional properties are being used for similar non qualifying uses.
The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief Scheme is subject to the Minimal Financial Assistance limits under the Subsidy Control Act. This means no recipient can receive over £315,000 over a 3-year period (consisting of the current financial year and the 2 previous financial years). Covid business grants received from local government and any other subsidy claimed under the Minimal Financial Assistance or Small Amounts of Financial Assistance limit over the 3-year period should be counted.
Therefore, to claim the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief you must not have exceeded either the £110,000 cash cap for 2024/25 or the Minimal Financial Assistance limit of £315,000 over 3 years (including 2024/25).
Bedford Borough Council will have awarded the relief to those assessments it deems to qualify. If you haven’t been awarded the relief but think you may qualify, please contact the business rates team.
If you have received the relief but do not meet the relevant cash cap or subsidy controls, you can opt out of the scheme and must tell the business rates team as soon as possible.
The easiest and quickest way to apply or opt out of the scheme is to do it online.
You can register for an online account and upload your application or contact us by using your citizen account. Alternatively, you can upload your application without registration through the 'upload a document online' facility below.
You can now register for an online Business Rates account which will allow you to:
to register for an online account you will need your account number as it appears on your Business Rates bill or recovery notice, plus one of the items from the following:
You can also use the registration process to let us know if you would like to switch to paperless billing.
Register for an online Business Rates account
If you already have an online Business Rates account you can sign in here:
Sign in to your online Business Rates account
You can now upload documents online (eg lease agreement) relating to your Business Rates. You will need to provide your property postcode, your Business Rates account number as it appears on your latest bill or recovery notice and a way to contact you (phone number or email address).