The Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services, on 21 April 2022, resolved to:

1.        Approve the Covid Additional Relief Fund at paragraphs 18 – 35 of the report; and

2.        Delegate authority to the Head of Financial Services to determine applications in accordance with the scheme and in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services to determine the final model to be used from those shown in Table 1 once all applications have been received.

The Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services, on 1 June 2022, resolved to:

1.             Approve the Council Tax Rebate Discretionary Scheme; and

2.             Delegate authority to the Head of Financial Services to implement the Energy Payment Discretionary Scheme in accordance with paragraph 5 of the report.

To approve the Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF) Scheme and delegate to the Head of Financial Services the authority to (i) determine applications in accordance with the scheme; and (ii) in consultation with the Cabinet Member determine the final model to be used from those shown in Table 1 of the report once all applications have been received.

To enable use of the Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund to support those businesses affected by the pandemic which are ineligible for existing support linked to business rates.

The £1.5 billion funding pot has been allocated to local authorities based upon the estimated rateable value in each local authority rating list which falls within the scope of the fund, weighted for the Gross Value Added (GVA) impacts of COVID-19 per sector.

Not approving the scheme would result in additional financial support being unavailable for local businesses.

Decision taken by Councillor Mike Rowley, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services.