Have your say on our 2020/21 Budget Proposals

As part of the annual budget setting process, we would like to engage with businesses on the Council’s Budget Proposals for the next financial year.

The Hub Committee have recommended the 2020/21 Budget Proposals to the Full Council meeting on Tuesday 18 February.

We would like to capture the views of businesses electronically (as we did last year) and we have designed a short questionnaire for this purpose.

We would be grateful if you could spare five minutes to share your thoughts. The survey will close on Monday 17 February and the results will be shared with all of our councillors.

We are currently forecasting a £0.42m budget gap by 2021/22 (5.8% of our net Budget of £7.2m).

The Council no longer receives any Government grant (Revenue Support Grant) to fund its services and we need to be self-sufficient.

Over the last ten years from 2009/10 to 2019/20, our core government funding will have reduced by £3 million.

The full Budget report and proposals are available (Agenda Item 9 – Revenue Budget Proposals for 2020/21) on the link below.

The Government has announced the following additional discounts against Business Rates bills for 2020/21:

Retail Discount – eligible retail businesses that occupy property with a rateable value of less than £51,000 will see their discount rise from 33% in 2019/20 to 50% in 2020/21.

Local Newspaper Offices – will see their £1,500 discount continue for a further five years.

Public House Relief – pubs will have a reduction of £1,000 in the bills of eligible public houses with a rateable value of less than £100,000.  Where the Public House has a rateable value of less than £51,000, they will be able to receive both this reduction, and the Retail Discount.

And the reduction will be applied to the 2020/21 Business rates bills that we will send out in March.

West Devon Borough Council allocates some funding to Business Information Point to help local businesses get the free support that they need to help them start-up and grow. Business Information Point does not make a profit and is funded entirely by local councils, central government schemes and European projects.

The local economy is important for employment and the health & wellbeing of residents.

Business Information Point deliver free business support to new and growing businesses across West Devon.  Support is available through one-to-one advice with an experienced business advisor on all aspects of setting up and growing a business, including available grant and loan funding, as well as a variety of business skills workshops.  All business sectors are eligible for this support.

For more information please call Business Information Point on 0800 592872, email team@businessinfopoint.co.uk or click on their website via the link below.