Circulars

What’s new or changing

• The Guidelines for Special Variation and Minimum Rate Variation for the 2017/18 rating year have been released.

What this will mean for your council

• New councils and those where a merger is pending due to legal proceedings will not be eligible for a special or minimum rate variation for the 2017/18 rating year.
• The Guidelines outline the process for all other councils seeking to apply for a special or minimum rate variation for 2017/18.

Key points

• New councils and those where a merger is pending due to legal proceedings will not be eligible for a special or minimum rate variation for the 2017/18 rating year.
• For those councils where a merger is pending but not subject to legal challenge, the council is still eligible to apply for a special or minimum rate variation. If the council is not merged prior to IPART making a determination, any approved special or minimum rate variation will commence as usual.
• Councils that intend to apply for a special variation or a minimum rate variation should notify IPART by 16 December 2016.
• Applications are due by 13 February 2017 for a special variation and 13 March 2017 for a minimum rate variation.
• Being a Fit Council does not negate the requirements set out in the Guidelines.
• There are no other major changes to the Guidelines for 2017/18.
• Other changes have clarified special rate minimums and updated application timetable.

Where to go for further information

• The 2017/18 Special Variation and Minimum Rate Variation Guidelines are available on the Office’s website at Rating and Special Variations.

Tim Hurst
Acting Chief Executive