Decision - Business Rates Retention forecast 2013/14

1.                  That the business rates forecast with the amount to be retained of £49.235m as set out in the NNDR1 2013/14 form at appendix 1 be agreed;

2.                  That the technical issues relating to future successful business rate appeals and refunds raised in the response to the provisional grant settlement set out in appendix 2 to the report and the potential impact on the budget be noted; and

3.                  That the positive outcome of the independent review of the council’s current systems for identifying changes to the rating list and informing the Valuation Office set out in paragraph 3.25 of the report and the improvements suggested be noted.