1.
a) How does the Council consult with the business community under Section 65 of the Local Government Finance Act and which organisations are contacted?
b) Details of any meetings and who attended?
Timescale of the municipal years for 2021/22, 2022/23 and the current municipal year 2023/24.
Section 65 is about owner/occupiers to establish who pays business rates. When a business registers with us we ensure we ask and check for the relevant information to comply with Section 65.

2.
a) What contact has the Council had with the Federation of Small Businesses during the period referred to under question 1 above?
b) Has the Federation of Small Businesses been invited to participate in any relevant consultations and meetings, if so what was the topic?
c) Did the Federation of Small Businesses respond?
The economic development team has regular contact with the FSB – we view them as an important stakeholder in supporting the smaller business community of the borough. We will promote each other’s surveys and invite the FSB to contribute towards business engagement consultations. Additionally, the FSB attends our drop-in sessions for small businesses offering advice and support across a range of business disciplines.

Both the economic development team and FSB will be present at a number of networking events across the borough – support material from the FSB is also promoted through our monthly e-bulletin Business Matters – current circulation to 9,830 emails.