Decision details

Authority to submit a bid as part of an Essex wide bid (excluding Thurrock) for the 2019/20 75% Business Rates Retention Pilot scheme.

All councils in Essex (excluding Thurrock) wish to submit an application to be a pilot in 2019/20. Success would see an additional £17m of Business Rates being retained by Essex as a whole (excluding Thurrock). The money would be split, with 10% (minimum £1.5m) allocated to individual LA financial sustainability pots for each authority. The remaining 90% would then be allocated to 4 growth corridors of which Epping Forest, Harlow and Uttlesford would form the West Essex Growth Fund.

The item is urgent and cannot be deferred as the bid has to be submitted by midnight on 25 September 2018; it was not possible to take the decision before 25 September as it was necessary to wait for all of the Essex authorities to agree a pilot, and on what terms and basis. The final agreement was only reached with one authority on the morning of 25 September.

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