Decision details

The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the Government’s Pubs and Live Music Venue Relief, its implications for local businesses, and the administrative responsibilities of the Council as the billing authority.

THAT:
The Government’s guidance for determining applications for discretionary Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief, held at the permalink on the gov.uk website, is approved as if it were the Council’s guidance;
The determination of applications for discretionary Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief is delegated to the Chief Finance Officer responsible for Revenues & Welfare Services.

The Council is expected by Government to grant relief in line with the guidance it has published. The guidance held at the permalink on the gov.uk website supersedes all previous guidance published by the Government on this subject.
To ensure efficient decision making and avoid the Executive from becoming overwhelmed by applications, it is appropriate that this function is delegated to Officers.
It is considered that such determinations, where explicit guidance is accepted and adopted, are a standard revenues function and should be performed by the Council’s officers and not its members.

An alternative to the proposal would be to report each application for relief under Pubs and Live Music Relief to the Leader of the Council for his determination as directed by the Council’s constitution. This would mean the Leader of the Council would have to consider multiple applications which would place an unnecessary burden on the Executive.