Hide and Seek

Even if you operate one of the types of properties that the government has defined as retail premises many council’s still require a form to be completed before Retail Relief is given. The forms are not always sent out with the original bills or even publicised.

South Cambridgeshire Council seems to have their form in the internet equivalent of the  bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard’.

When I emailed the council asking for the relief I was told that a form had to be completed. I was told that the form was in the business rates section of the council’s website.

There is no link to business rates on the council homepage but you can find it by looking at the site map (scroll down, no further than that). On the business rates page there is a note that there is information about retail relief further down the page. Obviously hyperlinks to the information would probably mean that more people would apply for it which would be a bad thing, apparently. So after more scrolling (about nine pages worth) there is a link to the form in the same colour as the rest of the text. If case you are looking for it you can get the form here.

In their defence at least once the forms had been submitted South Cambridgeshire gave the relief immediately. Some councils have taken two months or more to issue revised demands.