Business rates - Preston City Council

Business Support Grants Fund

The Government has announced (as at 11 March 2020) a scheme to pay small businesses in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief a grant of £10,000.

There are some exceptions to this. Business premises used for storage and for personal use (eg private stables, beach huts and moorings) will not qualify.

We expect the Government to provide this grant in early April so we are working now to ensure that we have up to date bank details for all of those businesses which will qualify for the grant.

Please complete your details using the Small Business Grant Fund and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund request for information form.

You will be asked to confirm your 8 digit business rates account number.

Grant Fund request for information form

If you are unable to complete the form online, you can download a written application form of the Icon for pdf Small Business Grant or Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grant Request for Information Form [768.83KB] and should be posted to:

Small Business Rates Grants Scheme, Preston City Council, Lancaster Road, Preston, PR1 2RL

Priority will be given to claims that have been submitted online and incomplete forms will result in a delay in processing any payment.

Support for businesses

The Government have made a series of announcements about support available to businesses in response to the Coronavirus pandemic:

All businesses in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors (including pubs) will pay no business rates in 2020/21.
Any grant award must still comply with the EU law on State Aid. If the amount of aid your business has received has already exceeded the permissible amount of 800,000 Euros or will do so by receiving one of these grants, then you should inform the Council immediately.
Businesses classed as within retail, leisure and hospitality sectors (including pubs) with a rateable value of over £15,000 and up to £51,000 will receive a £25,000 grant in 2020/21 in addition to their relief from business rates.
Businesses who receive small business rates relief will be receive a £10,000 grant in 2020/21 on top of their existing relief.

Eligibility

You are eligible for the grant if your business is in the retail, hospitality and/or leisure sector (including pubs).

Properties that will benefit from the relief will be occupied hereditaments that are wholly or mainly being used:

as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues
for assembly and leisure
as hotels, guest and boarding premises and self-catering accommodation.

Qualification is subject to a number of exclusions, including car parks and parking spaces, properties occupied for personal use (e.g. Stables, beach huts and moorings).

For more information please contact our team on NNDR@preston.gov.uk or call 01772 906972.

Please do not make any repeat contact with the Council.

Many of our staff are also affected by this outbreak so please be patient with us, and try to avoid contacting us unless it is absolutely necessary.

We will keep this information updated the best we can but we are relying on updates from Central Government. More information is available on the GOV.UK website.

View guidance to employers and businesses about Covid 19