Village Shop, Public House, Petrol Filling Station, Rural Rate Relief

Since the 1st April 1998 a new relief has been available to non-domestic ratepayers who are liable to pay rates on certain shops in the district.

How do I qualify for this relief?

The property must meet certain criteria:

• The property must be in a settlement appearing in the Council's Rural Settlement List
• The property must be the only general store or shop selling mainly food or post office in a settlement
• The property must be of benefit to the local community
• The rateable value of the property must be £6,000 or less for mandatory relief, £12,000 or less for discretionary relief.

• The sole petrol filling station or public house where the rateable value of the property is £9000 or less
• Farm buildings with recent planning consent for change of use e.g to shop, workshop etc. where the rateable value is £6000 or less.

It is possible for both the only general store or post office within a settlement to apply for relief.

What is a Rural Settlement?

A rural settlement is a parish of 3,000 people or less.

The following parishes in the Authority's area have been designated as rural areas by the Government and as such qualify for the purposes of rural settlements:

Designated Rural Areas

Alby	Cockthorpe	Horsey	Raynham West	Swanton Abbott
Aldborough	Colby	Houghton St. Giles	Raynham South	Swanton Novers
Antingham	Corpusty	Hoveton	Ridlington	Tatterford
Ashmanhaugh	Crostwight	Hunworth	Roughton	Tattersett
Aylmerton	Dilham	Ingham	Runton East	Thornage
Baconsthorpe	Dunton	Ingworth	Runton West	Thorpe Market
Bacton	East Ruston	Irstead	Ryburgh	Thurgarton
Bale	Eccles	Itteringham	Salthouse	Thurning
Banningham	Edgefield	Kelling	Saxlingham	Thursford
Barney	Edingthorpe	Kettlestone	Saxthorpe	Thwaite
Barsham	Erpingham	Knapton	Sco Ruston	Trimingham
Barton Turf	Felbrigg	Langham	Scottow	Trunch
Beckham East	Felmingham	Lessingham	Sculthorpe	Tunstead
Beckham West	Field Dalling	Letheringsett	Sharrington	Upper Sheringham
Beeston Regis	Fulmodestone	Little Barningham	Sea Palling	Upper Southrepps
Beeston St. Lawrence	Gimingham	Lower Southrepps	Shereford	Walcott
Bessingham	Glandford	Ludham	Sidestrand	Walsingham Great
Binham	Gresham	Matlaske	Skeyton	Walsingham Little
Blakeney	Gunthorpe	Melton Constable	Sloley	Warham
Blenheim Park/ Wicken Green	Hanworth	Metton	Smallburgh	Waxham
	Happisburgh	Morston	Snoring Great	Wells-next-the-sea
Bodham	Helhoughton	Mundesley	Snoring Little	Westwick
Bradfield	Hempstead	Neatishead		Weybourne
Briggate	Hempton	Northrepps	Stibbard	Whimpwell Green
Briningham	Hickling	Overstrand	Stiffkey	Wickmere
Brinton	High Kelling	Paston	Stody	Wighton
Briston	Hindolveston	Plumstead	Suffield	Witton
Brumstead	Hindringham	Potter Heigham	Sustead	Wiveton
Calthorpe	Holkham	Pudding Norton	Sutton	Wolterton
Catfield	Honing	Raynham East	Swafield	Wood Norton
Cley-next-the-Sea	Horning	-	-	Worstead

What is the definition of a Post Office, a General Store or a Public House?

A property will qualify for relief if the whole or part is used as a qualifying post office which includes:

A house, building or room which is used as a post office
Where the post office forms only part of the business, for example, a post office within a public house
What is the definition of a General Store?
A general store is defined as a trade or business consisting wholly or mainly of the sale by retail of both food for human consumption (excluding confectionery) and general household goods.

Where the general store forms only part of the business (for example, a general store and petrol filling station), it would be eligible for mandatory relief.

To qualify for sole public house relief the premises must be the only one in the settlement granted a Justice's on-license.

How much relief would I get?

Shops/Post Offices/Former Farm Buildings with a rateable value of £6,000 or less

Mandatory relief of 50% of the full rates bill or of the transitional bill where transitional arrangements apply.

Petrol Filling Stations or Public Houses with a rateable value of £9,000 or less

Mandatory relief of 50% of the full rates bill or of the transitional bill where transitional arrangements apply.

Can I get any discretionary relief?

Consideration may be given to granting up to an additional 30% discretionary relief.

Shops or Post Offices with a rateable value of £6,001 to £12,000 are not entitled to mandatory relief but consideration will be given to granting up to 50% discretionary relief.

All applications must be accompanied by your latest set of accounts/trading figures, or your profit and loss accounts broken down into trading type.

How do I apply for Village Shop Relief?

Please contact the Non-domestic Rates Office for an application form:

North Norfolk District Council
PO Box 2
Holt Road
Cromer
Norfolk
NR27 9EJ
Telephone: 01263 516110

If you have any questions about this information, please contact the Non-Domestic Rates (Business Rates) Section on 01263 516110.