Hambleton Flood relief discounts package
Central government have announced a package of measures to support residents
and business affected by the recent storms Desmond and Eva which include council
tax and NNDR discounts for a minimum of 3 months.
Discounts will be available for a minimum of 3 months initially for the period 26.12.15
to 31.3.16.
Definition of flooding
Section 1 of the Flood & Water Management Act 2010
1(1) “Flood” includes any case where land not normally covered by water becomes
covered by water.
(2) It does not matter for the purpose of subsection (1) whether a flood is caused by—
(a) heavy rainfall,
(b) a river overflowing or its banks being breached,
(c) a dam overflowing or being breached,
(d) tidal waters,
(e) groundwater, or
(e) anything else (including any combination of factors).
(3) But “flood” does not include—
(a) a flood from any part of a sewerage system, unless wholly or partly caused by
an increase in the volume of rainwater (including snow and other precipitation)
entering or otherwise affecting the system, or
(b) a flood caused by a burst water main (within the meaning given by section
219 of the Water Industry Act 1991
Council Tax discount scheme:
Eligibility criteria
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A 100% discount will be given for a minimum of three months in respect of any
domestic property flooded in whole or part as a result of adverse weather conditions;
even if you reoccupy the property within that time
This includes domestic properties where:
o Gardens / adjoining land / outbuildings have been severely affected;
o Services such as sewerage, drainage, and electricity are severely affected;
o Upper storey flats (above ground level) where accessibility or impacted
services mean the property is unliveable.
Where a person has had to move into temporary accommodation and is liable to pay
Council Tax on that property a 100% discount will also be applied to the temporary
accommodation in parallel with the discount on their flooded property
No discount is available for second homes or dwellings that were empty on the day
before they became flooded
Discounts are available for properties where services or access were unavailable,
even if home not flooded (e.g. if you were 2nd floor flat and the ground floor was
flooded)
What happens after 3 months?
 You must contact us if you remain out of your property for more than 3 months to
apply for an extended period of relief
 Where you have applied for extended relief you will continue receive a 100%
discount on both the flooded property and the temporary accommodation until such
time as you are able to return home, up to a maximum of 12 months in total
 Discounts for partly occupied properties where the householder has remained within
the property but it remains partly uninhabitable due to the flooding and occupation of
the whole property is limited by flood damage after 3 months may be able to have a
further discount but this will be subject to verification / inspection by Council Officers
Properties affected by multiple instances of flooding
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Where your property was rendered unliveable due to multiple separate flooding
events, discounts will be offered in respect of each event. So (for example) someone,
whose home became unliveable in December 2015 and again in subsequent flood
events, could be granted separate three-month periods of relief.
Householders receiving multiple periods of relief would also be eligible for additional
discounts in each period, if they remained out of their home after 3 months
Where the two separate instances of flooding occur within 3 months of each other,
the two discount periods would run concurrently. For example, if a second flooding
episode occurred after 2 months, and rendered the property unliveable, discounts
would be available for another 3 months, making the total discount period 5 months
Partially demolished or structurally damaged properties
If your domestic property has been partially demolished, structurally damaged and is
uninhabitable, the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) may be able to help you.
They will look at each case on merit.
email: ctnorth@voa.gsi.gov.uk
Phone: 03000 501501
Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/properties-affectedby-adverse-weather
Non Domestic Rates – (Business Rates)
As flood relief is subject to State Aid limits, where the business is part of a national company
or a large hereditament we may contact the head office to complete a State Aid declaration
before we are able to apply any relief.
Eligibility:
100 per cent rate relief for a minimum of three months (regardless of whether they reoccupy
the premises during that period) for those premises which meet the following criteria:
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For any day:
o the premises have been flooded in whole or in part as a result of adverse
weather conditions; and
o on that day, as a result of the flooding at the hereditament, the business
activity undertaken at the hereditament was adversely affected; and
o the rateable value of the hereditament on that day was less than £10
million
o ratepayers affected at more than one property will receive relief in respect
of each property
Relief is not available to properties where flooding was due to the failure of a water
main, internal water systems or the failure of a sewerage system (unless the failure
was itself caused by the adverse weather conditions)
Where the ratepayer occupies more than one property relief can be granted for all
eligible properties
Empty Properties that have been subject to flooding
 The scheme does not cover relief for any premises which were empty at the time it
was flooded as there was no business activity on the premises at the time
 Where a hereditament becomes empty after the flood then it will receive the normal 3
or 6 months (as applicable) empty property rate free period or will continue to receive
the balance of the flooding relief
What about properties removed from the rating list due to flooding?
 Seriously damaged properties may be taken off the ratings list by the Valuation Office
Agency (VOA)
 Where a property is removed from the rating list the ratepayer is not liable for
business rates
 Once the property returns to the list it may be eligible for any remaining period of
flood relief that would have otherwise been given. For example, a property that was
taken out of the list for a month would then become eligible for a minimum of two
months flood relief.
Valuation Office Agency (VOA) Property Inspectors are visiting businesses in the worst
affected areas.
What about businesses that have not been directly flooded but have seen trade
affected?
If your premises have not actually been flooded but you have seen a reduction or loss in
trade due to infrastructure issues such road or bridge closures you should contact the
Valuation Office Agency (VOA). They will consider temporarily lowering the Rateable Value
(RV) for your property, which will have the effect of reducing your business rates liability.
Where there are prolonged bridge closures reductions in RV will continue for however long it
takes to re-instate it to normal (i.e. open to both road and foot traffic).
The Valuation Office Agency can be contacted on:
email: ratingnortheast@voa.gsi.gov.uk
Phone: 03000 501501
Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/properties-affectedby-adverse-weather