Agenda item

Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund, Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant and the Energy Bills Rebate

Minutes:

Background:

 

The Cabinet accepted the report as urgent as it was imperative that the Council took urgent action to support businesses by implementing the government scheme promptly in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and to award the funding before the 31 March 2022.

 

The report provided details of the latest Government measures to assist council tax and business ratepayers in Medway in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, through the Covid-19 Additional Relief Funding (CARF), Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG) and the Energy Bills Rebate.

 

The Cabinet was requested to agree the draft CARF and proposed OHLG scheme and to agree a number of delegated authorities required to facilitate delivery.

 

It was noted that in line with rule 15.11 of Chapter 4, Part 5 of the Constitution, call-in could be waived where any delay likely to be caused by the call-in process would seriously prejudice the Council’s or the Public’s interests. The Chairman of the Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee had agreed that the decisions proposed were reasonable in all the circumstances and to them being treated as a matter of urgency and to waive call-in.

 

Decision number:

Decision:

46/2022

 

The Cabinet agreed the draft Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF) scheme and eligibility as set out at Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 to the report, subject to the final amendments being made, as set out in section 3 of the report.

47/2022

 

The Cabinet agreed the proposed Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG) scheme and eligibility, as set out in section 4 and the policy set out at Appendix 3 to the report.

 

48/2022

The Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Chief Operating Officer, in consultation with the Leader and the Portfolio Holder for Business Management, to finalise and implement these proposals and to consider and determine applications made under these schemes.

49/2022

The Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Chief Operating Officer, in consultation with the Leader and the Portfolio Holder for Business Management, to make minor amendments to the CARF and OHLG schemes to enable them to be adapted to the economic environment.

50/2022

The Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Chief Operating Officer to make any further technical amendments to the CARF, OHLG and Energy Bills Rebate schemes in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Business Management where further government advice is issued.

51/2022

The Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Chief Operating Officer, in consultation with the Leader and the Portfolio Holder for Business Management, to develop a discretionary Council Tax Rebate scheme and associated policy, and to make the necessary arrangements to assess eligibility and determine award of funding to eligible households.

 

The Cabinet noted that the Chief Operating Officer, in consultation with the Leader and the Portfolio Holder for Business Management, would exercise his existing delegation to add the additional funds to the revenue budget, as set out in paragraph 6.1 in the report.

52/2022

The Cabinet agreed that recommendations 10.1 – 10.5 were considered urgent and therefore would not be subject to call-in.

 

Reasons:

 

The CARF, OHLG and Energy Bills Rebate have been promoted by and are fully funded by the government to support business ratepayers with the ongoing impacts of Covid-19. Given the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lack of cost to the local taxpayer it is appropriate for the Council to introduce these measures.

Supporting documents: