Proposal for new 2020/21 Business Rates Pool

1. Membership and rationale

1.1. Further to the Invitation to Pool 2020-21 from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government on 17th September, the following local authorities within North and West Yorkshire confirm that they wish to seek designation as a business rates pool under the arrangements as set out in that correspondence and the Local Government Finance Act 2012, Schedule 7b to the Local Government Finance Act 1988, Paragraphs 34-38:

City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council The Metropolitan Borough Council of Calderdale Craven District Council Hambleton District Council Harrogate Borough Council Kirklees Council Leeds City Council North Yorkshire County Council Richmondshire District Council Ryedale District Council Scarborough Borough Council The Council of the City of Wakefield City of York Council

1.2. The title of this pool will be North and West Yorkshire Business Rates Pool.

1.3. This Pool will build upon the success of the previous Pools in the region: North and West Yorkshire Pool in 2019/20; and the North Yorkshire Pool and Leeds City Region Pool in previous years.

1.4. This North and West Yorkshire Business Rates Pool incorporates a varied geography with a diverse but complementary economy and business rates base. This Pool will help to build on the economic growth in the region and will have a positive impact upon adjacent areas.

1.5. The Pool will benefit the individual members and further the aims of the region as a whole. The Pool will have two complementary objectives:

 To support regional economic growth by providing support to and working in collaboration with regional partners;  To support the financial stability of the member authorities, both at an individual and a regional level.

2. Lead Authority

2.1. The authorities making up the North and West Yorkshire Pool have agreed that Leeds City Council will act as lead authority for the Pool. The contact details are:

Carolyn Jolley Senior Financial Manager Resources and Housing Leeds City Council Civic Hall Leeds LS1 1UR Tel: 0113 E-mail: [email protected]

3. Governance Arrangements

3.1. The governance arrangements are set out in Appendix 1 to this application, North and West Yorkshire Business Rates Pool Memorandum of Understanding. Included in this agreement (at Paragraph 9) are the arrangements for the treatment of Pool balances in the event of the Pool’s dissolution.

3.2. We understand that this will be written into the Pool’s Memorandum of Understanding between MHCLG and the North and West Yorkshire Business Rates Pool.