Agenda item

In response to a question about business rate relief for the Community Centre at Golden Lane, the Assistant Director advised that, under current legislation, the City Corporation is not able to award business rate relief to itself.  However, officers were investigating whether funding could be found from another HRA pot, rather than falling to resident service charges.   The Chairman advised that the issue of business rates was outside the remit of this Committee and asked Members to note existing pressures on the HRA.   Officers agreed to work with the Chamberlain to produce a report for the Committee, setting out options and looking at the wider issues.

In response to a further question about gardening on the Estate and the City’s policy on climate change and the emerging policy on bio-diversity, it was noted that many standard practices on public spaces were  being reviewed.  There was a request to implement local policies to allow residents to have more input into green spaces on the estate, and for a report to be taken to the Housing Management and Almshouses Sub Committee, in the first instance.