Rural Rate Relief

You could get Rural Rate Relief if your business is in a rural area with a population below 3,000.

From 1 April 2023 you will not pay any business rates if your business is in an eligible area and is either:

  • the only village shop or post office, with a rateable value of up to £8,500
  • the only public house or petrol station, with a rateable value of up to £12,500

Contact us by email to check your eligibility and to apply.

Discretionary Rural Rate Relief is available if your property significantly benefits your local community and has a rateable value of less than £16,500.

Whether your application is successful is at the discretion of your local council.

West Suffolk Council

Rural settlement list 2024-25

(under s42A of the Local Government Finance Act 1988)

Businesses located within areas of West Suffolk Council shown in the second column below are deemed to be within a rural settlement - that is, having a population of less than 3000 at 31 December 2023.

All settlement boundaries are as set out in Forest Heath Local Plan Policies Map 2017 (page 3 of the Local Policies Plan Map Book):

Civic parishAreas that are defined as 'rural settlements'
Ampton, Little Livermere and TimworthAll areas
BardwellAll areas
BarnardistonAll areas
BarnhamAll areas
BarninghamAll areas
BarrowAll areas
Barton MillsAll areas
Beck Row, Holywell Row and Kenny HillAll areas outside the Beck Row settlement boundary
Bradfield Combust with StanningfieldAll areas
Bradfield St ClareAll areas
Bradfield St GeorgeAll areas
Brandon and WangfordAll areas outside the Brandon settlement boundary
BrockleyAll areas
Bury St EdmundsAll areas outside the Bury St Edmunds settlement boundary
CavendishAll areas
CavenhamAll areas
ChedburghAll areas
ChevingtonAll areas
ClareAll areas
Coney WestonAll areas
CowlingeAll areas
CulfordAll areas
DalhamAll areas
DenhamAll areas
DenstonAll areas
DepdenAll areas
ElvedenAll areas
EriswellAll areas
EustonAll areas
ExningAll areas
Fakenham MagnaAll areas
FlemptonAll areas
Fornham All SaintsAll areas
Fornham St Martin and Fornham St GenevieveAll areas
FreckenhamAll areas
GazeleyAll areas
Great BartonAll areas
Great Bradley and Little BradleyAll areas
Great LivermereAll areas
Great ThurlowAll areas
Great WhelnethamAll areas
Great WrattingAll areas
HargraveAll areas
HaverhillAll areas outside the Haverhill settlement boundary
HawkedonAll areas
HawsteadAll areas
HengraveAll areas
HepworthAll areas
HerringswellAll areas
HighamAll areas
HoningtonAll areas
Hopton and KnettishallAll areas
Horringer and IckworthAll areas
HundonAll areas
IcklinghamAll areas
InghamAll areas
Ixworth and Ixworth ThorpeAll areas
KedingtonAll areas
KentfordAll areas
LackfordAll areas
LakenheathAll areas outside the Lakenheath settlement boundary
LidgateAll areas
Little ThurlowAll areas
Little WhelnethamAll areas
Little WrattingAll areas
Market WestonAll areas
MildenhallAll areas outside the Mildenhall settlement boundary
MoultonAll areas
NewmarketAll areas outside the Newmarket settlement boundary
NowtonAll areas
OusdenAll areas
PakenhamAll areas
PoslingfordAll areas
RedeAll areas
Red LodgeAll areas outside the Red Lodge settlement boundary
RisbyAll areas
Rushbrooke with RoughamAll areas
Santon DownhamAll areas
SapistonAll areas
StansfieldAll areas
StantonAll areas
Stoke-by-ClareAll areas
StradishallAll areas
The SaxhamsAll areas
ThelnethamAll areas
TroAll areas
TuddenhamAll areas
West RowAll areas
West Stow and WordwellAll areas
WestleyAll areas
WhepsteadAll areas
WickhambrookAll areas
WithersfieldAll areas
WixoeAll areas
WorlingtonAll area

Increase in Rateable Value at 1 April 2023

Business rates increases are capped at £600 per year or £50 per month for 2023-24 if:

  • you were previously eligible for Rural Rate Relief, and
  • you have ceased to be eligible because of an increase in the rateable value of your property.