The Westminster Council Rating Advisory Panel met on Tuesday 9th September 2025. The agenda included discussion of Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR) relief applications, and a recommendation to exclude the public and press from a portion of the meeting.

NNDR Discretionary and Hardship Relief Applications

The panel was scheduled to discuss Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR) Discretionary and Hardship Relief Applications. NNDR, often referred to as business rates, are a tax on non-domestic properties, and discretionary and hardship relief schemes allow councils to reduce the amount a business has to pay if they meet certain criteria¹. The agenda for the meeting, available online, did not include any further information about the number or nature of applications to be discussed.

Exclusion of Public and Press

The panel was scheduled to consider a recommendation to exclude the public and press from a portion of the meeting. According to the agenda, this was:

RECOMMENDED: That under Section 100 (A) (4) and Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business because they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information on the grounds shown below and it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

The agenda did not specify which item(s) of business this applied to.

Other Business

The agenda for the meeting of the Rating Advisory Panel is available online. It also included:

• Noting any changes to the membership of the panel.
• Receiving declarations of interest from members and officers.