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Discretionary business rates relief for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses

In February 2025 we announced a proposed package of support for eligible businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sector for 2025/26. 

The scheme, funded through surplus business rates, is a one-off reinvestment and offers up to 100% business rate relief for qualifying businesses in the borough who receive business rates retail, hospitality and leisure relief for 2025/26 from 1 April 2025.

This discretionary scheme will 'top-up' the 40% relief to 100%, or up to a cash cap limit of £110,000 for eligible businesses.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this discount the business must:

You won't be eligible for the discount if:

The award will end on 31 March 2026, or earlier if the property becomes vacant or if any information is brought to our attention that would end the entitlement. We reserve the right to withdraw the relief at any time.

By accepting the additional relief, you consent to your details being shared with our Enterprising Barnsley team and that you'll engage with them to receive business support and advice. The team will contact businesses on an individual basis to work with them on their business needs and what help and support they can provide. If you're contacted by the team you must engage with them; failure to do so will result in the discretionary relief being removed from your account and business rates (at 60%) will become payable.

How to apply

You don’t need to apply for this discretionary relief. We've identified which businesses qualify from our business rates records, and the relief has automatically been awarded to eligible businesses from 1 April 2025.

We won't make an automatic award if we believe a business will exceed the cash cap or the subsidy control limits by receiving this extra relief. We'll contact you separately for more information if this is the case.

The details of the businesses that have received the relief will be shared with our Enterprising Barnsley team who will contact businesses to engage in the business support offer from April 2025. If you don’t hear from a business advisor but you would like additional support, you can contact the Enterprising Barnsley team at investment@barnsley.gov.uk. The team can support businesses of all sizes to make sure they're in the best position they can be to grow and prosper in Barnsley.

Charities, community amateur sports clubs (CASC), non-profit organisations, clubs and associations will not be required to engage in the business support offer.

The cash cap and subsidy control 

When deciding if relief can be granted, we'll consider the minimal financial assistance limits under the Subsidy Control Act. These rules restrict the award of government subsidies (previously known as state aid) to businesses, which in certain circumstances include business rates relief.

This means that no recipient can receive over £315,000 in subsidies over a three-year period (consisting of the current financial year and the two previous financial years). Relief granted to charities and non-profit-making bodies normally doesn't contribute to these limits because they're not in market competition with other businesses. However, if they're engaged in commercial activities or displacing an economic operator, or if they have a commercial partner, then business rates relief may be subject to subsidy control.

Find out more about subsidy control.

If you don’t want to receive the discretionary relief or you exceed the cash cap

You can opt out of receiving the additional 60% top-up relief by contacting us to tell us that you don’t want to receive the discount. 

You must also refuse the relief if you don't want to engage with a business support advisor as per the eligibility criteria.

Reconsiderations and appeals

As this is a discretionary award, there is no right of appeal.

You can ask for our decision to be looked at again by completing our online form. You'll need to provide a full explanation of why you don't agree with the decision. A discretionary panel comprised of senior officers will look at each request and either confirm or revise the decision.

Fraudulent claims

The government and council won't tolerate any business falsifying their records or providing false evidence to gain this discount, including claiming support above the cash cap. If you falsely apply for relief, provide false information or make a false representation in order to gain relief, you may be guilty of fraud under the Fraud Act 2006.

We undertake checks to protect the council from fraudulent activity. We'll take all necessary steps to investigate allegations of attempted or committed fraud and will pursue sanctions available in each case, including prosecution and the recovery of council assets and funds.