Economy, Communities & Corporate

Geoff Hughes

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E-mail: / FOI IAT 8737
Claire Jacobs
01432 260 340

23 December 2014

Dear Sir,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST FOI IAT 8737

Further to previous correspondence, your request for information has now been considered, and the council’s response is set out below:

Business Rate Relief on Old Market Site

Q1 In the past I have made two requests asking you whether any sort of financial inducement of any sort has been offered / given to people / businesses taking up space on the Old Market site, whether by business rate relief or any other type of inducement / allowance. You have consistently replied “no”.

However, if what I have not learned is true, then what you have told me is a lie because I understand that whilst the council itself has not given any direct “inducement”, it is accepting business rate (or some sort of financial payment) from the developers in lieu of from the occupiers of space on the site, and that businesses such as Debenhams have been given I believe 5 years rate free occupation.

I should like you to comment fully, and explain why you have misled me.

Please also confirm the extent of the financial inducement / relief / payment / allowance / whatever else you may try to call it in respect of each and every business now on the site

Please confirm that you have at all times been aware that such an arrangement was being made with people / business who took space on the site

A.  The above request regarding business rate relief on the Old Market site, Hereford has been made by yourself on two previous occasions.

On 22 August 2012, you submitted the following request (FOI CIU 1642):

“Edgar Street Grid – Has any financial inducement by way of rate reduction, rate cancellation or otherwise been offered to any potential occupier of any part of this development, particularly to any chain store. If so, give details of the amount, and to whom”

On the 24 August 2012, Herefordshire Council responded as follows:

“No financial inducement of any kind has been offered to any potential occupier”

On the 25 April 2014, you submitted a further request (FOI IAT 7206):

“Financial incentives to take up Edgar Street grid premises. A year or two ago, when opposing the idea of the Edgar Street development, I wrote to you under the FOI Act asking whether you had given or offered, or intended to give or offer, any financial inducement of any kind, including abatement, reduction or otherwise of business rates, to anyone intending to, or considering to, take up space in that development.

Your answer was, I believe “no”. I now have reason to think that answer was not the truth. Therefore please furnish me with (a) a copy of my initial request and your response and (b) consider my initial question again and give me a full and detailed response, particularly with regard to Debenhams and Waitrose. If the answer in any respect is actually “yes” then give full details”.

On the 9 May 2014, Herefordshire Council responded as follows:

“Please find attached a copy of your initial request dates 22 August 2012 and our response of 24 August 2012.

I am advised that Herefordshire Council has not given or offered, or is it intending to give or offer, any kind of financial inducement, including abatement, reduction or otherwise of business rates, to any business which has or is considering taking up space in the Old Market development. This includes Waitrose and Debenhams”.

Regarding you latest request, I can confirm that Herefordshire Council has not given or offered, nor is intending to give or offer, any kind of financial inducement, including abatement, reduction or otherwise of business rates, to any business which has or is considering taking up space in the Old Market development.

Herefordshire Council has not been offered and would not accept any financial payment from the developers of the Old Market site in respect of business rates.

Debenhams have not received 5 years rate free occupation, they have been rated by the valuation office and billed accordingly from the date of occupation.

There are two businesses on the site that have a rateable value of under £50,000 and in accordance with legislation qualify for Retail Rate Relief of £1,000 (pro rate to date of occupation) for the financial year 2014/15.

Herefordshire Council has issued a true and honest response to all points raised in this current Freedom of Information request and all related previous Freedom of Information requests.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request or you would like a review of the response provided, further information regarding our review procedure is available in the ‘Internal Review Procedure for EIR and FOI requests’ which is published on Herefordshire Council’s website via the following link:

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/government-citizens-and-rights/data-protection-and-freedom-of-information/data-protection

Further information is also available from the Information Commissioner at:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Telephone: 01625 545 745 www.ico.org.uk


Yours faithfully

CLAIRE JACOBS

INFORMATION ACCESS OFFICER