Issue details

Summary

This report will provide details of a number of Government measures in relation to Council Tax and Business Rates Relief which are in place to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, to which the Leader’s approval, under urgency provisions, is sought.

The Leader will also be asked authorise the Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the Leader and Portfolio Holder for Business Management, to implement any further measures introduced by the Government to provide relief for Council Tax and Business Rate payers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic insofar as these measures are 100% funded by Government.

Access to Information

The report together with any other documents being considered (unless they contain exempt information) would ordinarily be available for inspection 5 clear days before the decision is taken by the Cabinet. Copies are available on the Council's website or requested from Democratic Services Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TR or email democratic.services@medway.gov.uk If you wish to submit information to the Cabinet about the item please also contact Democratic Services.

On this occasion it has not been possible to provide 28 clear days’ notice, nor 5 clear days’ notice, therefore Section 11 (Cases of special urgency) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements)(Meetings and Access to Information)(England) Regulations 2012 and Rule 17 (Special urgency) of the Council’s Access to Information Rules, as set out in the Constitution, have been complied with. The Chairman of the Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee has agreed that the taking of these decisions are urgent and cannot be reasonably deferred until the next Cabinet meeting on 7 April 2020. This is because it is imperative that the Council takes urgent action to support both individuals and businesses in line with the Government’s announcements on a range of measures in respect of Council Tax and Business Rates Relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.