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Discretionary rate relief

Application criteria

You should read through this information carefully, to make sure that you meet our criteria, and can comply with the terms and conditions, before you spend time completing the application form.

1. To be eligible for discretionary rate relief, an organisation must clearly demonstrate that:
   1. it was not established for, and is not conducted for, the purpose of making a profit;
   2. it was not established for, and is not conducted for, the purpose of providing a financial benefit for the people who run it;
   3. it is directly liable to pay the non-domestic rates on the property;
   4. the property on which rate relief is being sought is occupied with one or more groups whose objectives are charitable, philanthropic, religious or concerned with sports, leisure, education, social welfare, science, literature or arts;
   5. the property is wholly or mainly used for a community based activity;
   6. membership is open to all sections of the community or that any restrictions placed on membership are legitimate;
   7. the predominant beneficiaries of these activities are Calderdale residents.
2. The following organisations will not be eligible for relief:
   1. those that support, either directly or indirectly, politically motivated groups or parties;
   2. those that set their membership rates at such a high level as to exclude the general community;
   3. housing associations and organisations that are set up and funded to deliver government programmes.

3. The level of rate relief awarded to eligible organisations is dependent on the type of organisation and its activities, according to the following scale:

   1. Charitable, philanthropic or religious organisations, or those concerned with education, social welfare, science or literature
   Level of relief awarded	100%
   Exceptions	If the organisation has financial reserves of more than two years normal expenditure, the level of relief will be reduced by 20 percent. If the organisation has bar facilities which open often, and/or produce substantial bar income, the level of relief will be reduced by 20 percent.
   2. Clubs, societies and other organisations concerned with recreation, sport or art
   Level of relief awarded	60%
   Exceptions	If the organisation has bar facilities which open often and/or produce substantial bar income, the level of relief will be reduced to 20 percent.
   3. Indoor social clubs (except clubs for older people, that is over 60 years old, and youth clubs, which are both included in type 1 above)
   Level of relief awarded	10%
   Exceptions	-

   In exceptional cases, additional relief above the standard levels set out above can be awarded, but organisations must clearly demonstrate why they should be awarded more than the standard award.

Terms and conditions

• Under this discretionary rate relief scheme, relief once approved shall be granted for three years. Organisations will not be required to apply annually.
• However, organisations are required to notify the appropriate Council officer immediately of any change to their status, changes to their constitution / rules and changes of membership rates. Failure to do so could result in the loss of rate relief and action by the Council to recover any relief previously awarded.
• For monitoring purposes, each year a number of organisations in receipt of discretionary rate relief will be randomly selected for detailed examination. Organisations must submit the monitoring information requested, or they may lose the rate relief previously awarded.

Application form

Once you are satisfied that you meet our criteria, and that you will be able to comply with the terms and conditions of the rate relief, you will need to complete an application form.

You can either complete the online Discretionary rate relief application form, or you can contact Community Services Grants to request a paper copy.

In order for us to process your application, please send us a copy of your organisation's constitution or similar document and a copy of the organisation's most recent accounts.  If you apply online, we still need this information.  You can post or email copies.

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