Rural Rate Relief

Certain types of properties in a rural settlement with a population of 3,000 or less may be entitled to rural rate relief.

Under the Rural Rate Relief scheme, we are able to grant 100% mandatory rate relief to any food shop, general store, post office, petrol filling station and public house which meets the following criteria:

• the location is entered on the rural settlement list (PDF, 102 KB)(opens new window)
• for a food shop, general store or post office, the property has a rateable value not greater than £8,500
• for a petrol filling station or public house, the property has a rateable value not greater than £12,500
• it is the only business of that type in the same rural settlement.

Food shops will be excluded from this particular relief if they are hot food 'takeaways' or are selling food for consumption on the premises, along with the sale of sweets, confectionery, newspapers/magazines, alcohol, mineral waters, fancy goods, toys, household goods etc.

A general store is defined as 'a trade or business consisting wholly or mainly of the sale by retail of both food for human consumption (excluding confectionery) and general household goods'.

The Rural Settlement List is also available for public inspection at Council Offices, Priory Road, Spalding. 

If you wish to make an application for Rural Rate Relief, please see our Apply for Rural Rate Relief page.