Cabinet adopts 75% discount in business rates relief scheme

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet has adopted the Non-Domestic Rates Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Rates Relief scheme for Wales, which is aimed at supporting businesses and other eligible ratepayers.

The scheme, extended by the Welsh Government for 2023/24, offers a discount of 75% on non-domestic rates for eligible occupied properties.

The relief will be subject to a cap of £110,000 in the amount each business can claim across all properties occupied by them in Wales. Businesses that make an application for the relief to individual local authorities must declare that the amount of relief they are seeking across Wales does not exceed this cap.

The High Street Rate Relief Scheme was first introduced by the Welsh Government in 2017. In response to the Coronavirus emergency in 2020/21, it announced that it would continue with the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Rates Relief scheme and increase the discount to 100% and, in addition to the retail sector, extend it to include leisure and hospitality sectors, which include shops, pubs, restaurants, gyms, performance venues and hotels.   

The relief discount was reduced to 50% for the year 2022/23, but now goes up to 75%.

Cabinet Member for Resources, Cllr. Alun Lenny said “I welcome this increase in grant funding for our retail, leisure and hospitality sector and I would encourage all eligible businesses in Carmarthenshire, which includes our shops, restaurants, pubs, gyms, leisure facilities and hotels to apply for this support.

“This relief in business rates by Welsh Government is a discretionary power and therefore requires the Council to formally adopt the scheme. However, it should be noted that it’s the Government that indicates the types of business they consider appropriate for this relief, and those which are not.”

Please visit Carmarthenshire County Council to apply for non-domestic rates relief.