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<p><i>From OIC Updates on Facebook:</i></p>
<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xdj266r x126k92a" style="margin: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; overflow-wrap: break-word; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">Views are being sought on how rates relief should be awarded for unoccupied non-domestic properties in Orkney.</div></div>
<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; overflow-wrap: break-word; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">Feedback from local ratepayers and other interested parties will be used to help shape the Council’s rate relief policy moving forward.</div></div>
<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; overflow-wrap: break-word; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">William Moore, Service Manager – Revenues & Benefits at OIC, explained: “The non-domestic rate is payable on all properties which are not domestic in nature.</div></div>
<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; overflow-wrap: break-word; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;"><span style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit;"><a tabindex="-1" style="color: rgb(56, 88, 152); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit;"></a></span>“There is at present a national scheme of rates relief to reduce the rates payable where a property is unoccupied, i.e. not in active use, but from April 2023, Councils have responsibility for setting their own rate relief policies.</div></div>
<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; overflow-wrap: break-word; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">“That is why we are consulting with local ratepayers and other interested parties to get their views on how rates relief should be awarded for unoccupied non-domestic properties in Orkney.”</div></div>
<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; overflow-wrap: break-word; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">Under the existing arrangements, any reduction in the rates payable for unoccupied properties is fully funded through a national arrangement but from April the Council will be allocated a fixed amount to award relief under its local policy.</div></div>
<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; overflow-wrap: break-word; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">Mr Moore said: “This means that the amount of relief available to local ratepayers where a property is empty could be capped to ensure that the overall relief awarded does not exceed the amount provided by the Scottish Government. Under the existing scheme, the cost of any excess relief awarded would therefore need to be met by local Council Tax payers.</div></div>
<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; overflow-wrap: break-word; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">The Council would like to hear your views on the following questions:</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">• Do you agree that the aim of the Council policy should be to encourage bringing empty properties back into use – if not, why not?</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">• Should the policy have other aims?</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">• Should the Council retain the existing reliefs and exemptions within its local policy? </div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">• Should the rates of relief available be the same for all property types, or should relief be targeted at specific sectors or localities? Why?</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">• Are there any other reliefs or exemptions that you think would help to bring about the aims of the policy, i.e. bringing unoccupied properties back in to use?</div></div>
<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; overflow-wrap: break-word; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">The consultation will be open until the start of February - please complete the survey here <span style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg" href="https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/OIC-RatesRelief/?fbclid=IwAR1GfDcd4vbb7EmmmWPKTiaW9D7nnPup-i7wYAQcxeuUWyvbjW2-O5HJyKg" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" tabindex="0" target="_blank" style="color: var(--blue-link); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; margin: 0px; text-align: inherit; padding: 0px; outline: none; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; display: inline; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit;">https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/OIC-RatesRelief</a>.</span></div></div>
<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; overflow-wrap: break-word; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">Your feedback will be used to inform elected members ahead of future decision-making around the policy, due to be discussed at next month’s Policy and Resources Committee meeting.</div></div>
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