Flood Recovery Grants and Discounts

Business Rate Flood Relief Scheme - Storms Ciara and Dennis 2020

This scheme applies where businesses have been flooded as a result of Storm Ciara and/or Storm Dennis in the Ribble Valley.

How much Business Rate Relief will I receive and who is eligible?

100% rate relief will be granted for a minimum of three months, or until the business restarts trading from the property if longer, up to state aid de minimis levels, for those hereditaments which meet the following criteria:

For any day:

  • the hereditament was directly impacted by Storm Ciara and/or Dennis – for instance flood damage to the property, equipment, and/or stock; or; the business could not function due to lack of access to premises; equipment and or/stock as a result of Storm Ciara and/or Dennis, and no alternatives were available.

And

  • on that day business activity undertaken at the hereditament was adversely affected as a result; and
  • on that day the rateable value of the hereditament was less than £10 million.

The scheme applies to all types and uses of non-domestic hereditaments (other than those occupied by major preceptors).

In considering whether the business actively has been adversely affected, we will consider the impact of the flooding in the full context of all business activity undertaken at the hereditament. Very small or insignificant impact will not be considered for the purposes of this scheme.

This policy only covers impacts of Storm Ciara and/or Dennis and not, for instance water damage caused by failure of a water main, internal water systems or failure of a sewerage system (unless the failure was itself caused by the adverse weather conditions).

Ratepayers will be required to apply for the relief and to provide details of the adverse effect of the flooding upon their business.  Ratepayers will also be required to confirm that the award of relief will not cause state aid limits to be exceeded.

The relief will apply for three months.  A fresh application can be made if the business is not trading from the premises after three months, which will be considered by the Council.

Where a hereditament has been flooded more than once and business activities are adversely impacted, only one period of 3 months relief will be granted and this will be effective from the first date on which the above criteria were met.

Empty Properties

The scheme does not cover relief for any hereditament which was empty at the time it was flooded as there was no business activity on the premises at the time. Where a hereditament becomes empty after the flood then it will receive the normal 3 or 6 months (as applicable) empty property rate free period or will continue to receive the balance of the flooding relief.

Change of ratepayer, splits, mergers, and changes to existing hereditaments

Relief will continue following a change in ratepayer. Where a new hereditament is created as a result of a split or merger of a hereditament that for the day prior to the split or merger met the criteria for this relief, relief will continue for the remaining balance. If a hereditament is removed from the list, as a result of Storm Ciara and/or Dennis, and subsequently returns to the list within the three-month period it will be eligible for the balance of relief remaining.

How to apply?

The relief can be applied for by downloading and completing the relief application form. This will then need to be sent back to the council offices in Clitheroe. Scanned copies of the application form sent to contact@ribblevalley.gov.uk will be accepted.