Help with business rates for firms affected by pandemic
Companies in St Albans District that have been affected by Covid-19 may be eligible for business rate relief of up to 50%.
St Albans City and District Council is administering the Government’s Covid Additional Relief Fund which was launched earlier this year.
The fund offers financial help to business that have not previously qualified for assistance in paying their business rates.
This means that firms that have received a business rate rebate under a retail scheme – including shops, pubs and restaurants – are not able to apply.
Many other businesses in the District could be eligible for the discretionary fund, though, including those that operate from offices, warehouses and factories.
The Council may offer them business rate relief of up to 50% of their net liability for the 2021/22 financial year.
Businesses cannot make applications for an empty property unless it was vacated temporarily because of Government advice on Covid.
To make an application and for further information, go to www.stalbans.gov.uk/covid-19-additional-relief-fund-carf.
Richard Skilbeck, the Council’s Revenues Manager, said:
We would urge any business within the District that believes it may be eligible to check out the criteria on our website and make an application.
This is a discretionary fund and we intend to support those businesses which have been severely impacted by the pandemic and were unable to adapt to the lockdowns.
We will be working hard to get the rate relief to those that qualify as quickly as possible as has been the case with the £50 million that we have distributed to organisations within the District from other funds.
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood, Pexels.
Contact for the media: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727-819533, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.