The Society of District Council Treasurers (SDCT) has submitted responses to the business rates consultation and the local government finance settlement 2017-18 and now awaits the Government’s response.

The vast majority of authorities opted to accept the four-year settlement, potentially seeing safety in numbers and wanting to avoid what might be a worse annual offer. We are waiting for the Autumn Statement with little expectation of any improvement for local government in spite of intense lobbying. One of the main and critical ‘unknowns’ for many remains the response to the New Homes Bonus consultation.