Agenda and decisions

Cabinet Member for Finance Decision Meeting - Monday, 6th October, 2025 10.00 am

Venue: the Council Chamber - Council Offices, Trinity Road, Cirencester, GL7 1PX. View directions

Note: Discretionary Rate Relief

Media

Items
No.	Item
1.	Cabinet Member Introductions View the background to item 1. View the decision for item 1. Welcome to the public and introduction of participants. Additional documents: Webcast for 1. Decision: Councillor Patrick Coleman, Cabinet Member for Finance, welcomed the public to the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was stated as being to make recommendations for the use of funds collected from the Rissington Road Car Parking Tourism Levy in Bourton-on-the- Water for 2025/26.
2.	Declarations of Interest View the background to item 2. View the decision for item 2. To receive any declarations of interest by the Cabinet Member present. Additional documents: Webcast for 2. Decision: There were no interests declared by Members or Officers.
3.	Officer Overview of the Report PDF 538 KB View the background to item 3. View the decision for item 3. Officer to provide a brief verbal summary of the report with key details relating to the decision, providing any updates that need to be considered by the Cabinet Member when taking the decision. Purpose To make recommendations for the use of funds collected from the Rissington Road Car Parking Tourism Levy in Bourton-on-the- Water for 2025/26. Additional documents: 250904 - BotW Consultation Summary - Annex A , item 3. PDF 546 KB Webcast for 3. Decision: The Executive Director introduced the report explaining that the decision was to agree the recommend funding for the agreed community projects. The key points raised were: · There were recurring annual expenditures including the cost of employing the Village Warden and joint funding projects to refresh the village green and parking enforcement · Following the 2025 public consultation, 9 highest ranked projects were chosen to receive funding from the Bourton-on-the-Water Tourism parking Levy. · The recurring annual expenditures total £39,733 whilst the consulted 2025/26 projects totalled £64,790. The total expenditure for 2025/26 would be £104,523.
4.	Confirmation of Comments View the background to item 4. View the decision for item 4. Confirmation of comments received by officer or Democratic Services. Additional documents: Webcast for 4. Decision: There were no comments made.
5.	Public Questions View the background to item 5. View the decision for item 5. The Cabinet Member may allow members of the public present at the meeting to speak or make representations. However, all questions must relate directly to the decision being discussed. If a question is deemed irrelevant by the Cabinet Member the member of the public will be advised where to direct their question. Additional documents: Webcast for 5. Decision: There were no public questions.
6.	Cabinet Member Questions View the background to item 6. The Cabinet Member may request clarifications on the report and the proposed decision, including any alternative options for consideration. Additional documents: Webcast for 6.
7.	Decision View the background to item 7. View the decision for item 7. The Cabinet Member will verbally confirm the decision stating whether they Accept the recommendations of the officer, Decide to take a different decision contrary to the officer’s recommendation, or Decide to refer the decision to a meeting of Cabinet. The Cabinet Member must inform the Democratic Services Officer of the reason for the decision, which will be officially recorded on the Decision Notice. Additional documents: Webcast for 7. Decision: The Cabinet Member for Finance considered the recommendations within the report and noted to approve the recommendations in the interests of economic community success. The Cabinet Member resolved to approve the funding of the following Projects, listed in order of preference resulting from the 2025 public consultation process in relation to the use of funds from the Bourton-on-the-Water Tourism Parking Levy: Commissioning of a Visitor Traffic Management Strategy (estimated cost £35,000), Installation of rubber matting for the Melville and Naight play areas (estimated cost £860), Provision of additional Parking Enforcement between Christmas and New Year (estimated cost £530), Set up and removal of Village Green railings for protection of the Green from November to March (estimated cost £900), Engineering works on the footpath adjacent to Jubilee Orchard, to improve drainage (estimated cost £8,000), Repainting of the benches in the Village centre (estimated cost £4,000), Repair of the paths around the Village Green (estimated cost £5,000), Resurfacing of the bonded area underneath circular benches on the Village Green (estimated cost £7,500), and Purchase of materials for volunteers to use to make gravel footpath improvements; particularly the Conigers and Manor Field footpaths (estimated cost £3,000). The Cabinet Member for Finance approved the funding of the recurring annual expenditure from the Bourton-on-the-Water 2025/26 Tourism Parking Levy receipts: The cost of employing the Village Warden (£20,444), The cost of providing the Village Warden with a Small Projects budget (£500), Joint (50%) funding of the annual refresh of the Village Green (£9,957), and Joint (50%) funding of the provision of additional Parking Enforcement (£8,832).
8.	Cabinet Member Introduction Welcome to the public and introduction of participants Confirmation of any comments received by the officer or by Democratic Services. Additional documents: Webcast for 8. Decision: Councillor Patrick Coleman, Cabinet Member for Finance, welcomed the public to the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was stated as being to determine ten new applications and thirteen renewal applications for Discretionary Rate Relief submitted under Section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 for the financial years 2023/2024, 2024/2025 and 2025/2026
9.	Declarations of Interest To receive any declarations of interest by the Cabinet Member or any officers present. Additional documents: Webcast for 9. Decision: The Cabinet Member for Finance declared a membership of Cotswold Canals Trust.
10.	Officer Overview of the Report PDF 534 KB View the background to item 10. View the decision for item 10. Officer to provide a brief verbal summary of the report with key details relating to the decision, providing any updates that need to be considered by the Cabinet Member when taking the decision. Purpose To determine ten new applications and thirteen renewal applications for Discretionary Rate Relief submitted under Section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 for the financial years 2023/2024, 2024/2025 and 2025/2026. Additional documents: Restricted enclosure 6 View the reasons why document 10./2 is restricted Annex B - DISCRETIONARY RATE RELIEF POLICY CDC 2024 , item 10. PDF 307 KB Webcast for 10. Decision: The Business Manager for Environment, Revenues and Welfare introduced the report explaining that Cotswold District Council had the power to consider granting, on an individual basis, Discretionary Rate Relief to non-profit making organisations and organisations suffering financial hardship. Ten new applications had been received and there had been thirteen renewal applications for Discretionary Rate Relief in relation to business rates liabilities for the 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/2026 financial year. If the Rate Relief was to be awarded, it was demonstrated that that would result in a loss on non-domestic rates income of £24,783.50 for the financial year 2025/26.
11.	Confirmation of Comments Confirmation of comments received by officer or Democratic Services. Additional documents: Webcast for 11. Decision: There were no comments discussed.
12.	Public Questions The Cabinet Member will invite public contributions or representations verbally at the meeting from members of the public present. Questions must relate directly to the decision. If a question is asked, which in the view of the Cabinet Member is not relevant to the decision, the member of the public will be advised where to direct their question. Additional documents: Webcast for 12. Decision: There were no public questions.
13.	Cabinet Member Questions The Cabinet Member may ask for any clarifications regarding the report and the decision that is required, including any alternative options which might be considered. Additional documents: Webcast for 13. Decision: The Cabinet Member for Finance requested further information on the criteria used to make the decision whether to be able to grant Rate Relief to organisations. The Business Manager for Environment, Revenues and Welfare explained that those charitable organisations and those with a community interest received an 80% relief from the government and were looking to receive discretionary Rate relief on the remaining 20%. Each applicant needed to submit their accounts and decisions were based on the balance of their funds. If they held sufficient funds to continue trading for twelve months then they would not normally be eligible to receive additional rate relief as they would have sufficient funds to pay their business rate liability . Some applicants were designated as approved for a ‘10% top up’ rather than the full 20% relief. It was asked whether late applications were accepted. It was explained that whilst not encouraged, some organisations had not been aware of the relief available from the previous year and their applications had been considered.
14.	Decision View the background to item 14. View the decision for item 14. The Cabinet Member will verbally confirm their decision, stating whether they: a) Accept the officer’s recommendation b) Make a different decision contrary to the recommendation, or c) Refer the decision to a Cabinet meeting. The Cabinet Member must inform the Democratic Services Officer of the reason for the decision, which will be officially recorded on the Decision Notice. Additional documents: Webcast for 14. Decision: The Cabinet Member for Finance considered the recommendations within the report and agreed the Discretionary Rate Relief to support those charitable organisations where the entities were carrying out activities which either support the Council’s priorities or have provided evidence of financial circumstances which met the criteria. Where refusal was given the reserves were sufficient to meet the financial performance. The Cabinet Member for Finance approved the following Discretionary Rate Relief applications for: Big Yellow Bus Company North Cotswold Food Bank Heart Safe Clinic Academy (six accounts) Palmer Hall Management Churn Project Ltd Headspace Cirencester Opportunity Group SLM Community Leisure Charity Trust (three accounts) New Brewery Arts (two accounts) Brimpsfield Village Hall Cirencester Citizens Advice Bourton-on-the-Hill Old School Village Hall Lechlade Library Ltd The Cabinet Member for Finance refused applications for: The Cotswolds Canals Trust Didmarton Village Hall & Community Committee

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