FI15385
Request
- Over the last five years how many premises in Dover have been granted planning permission to be a religious place of worship and where were these premises?
- In the last five years have any residential homes in Dover been granted Council Tax reductions or tax relief in any way and if so, how many and what were the premises?
- In granting tax relief and/or planning permission is the individual religion considered eg a church or a mosque or is the term "place of worship" (or similar) treated as a generic term regardless of the particular religion?
Response
1. One at 6 Park Place, Dover under Application No 22/01285.
2.
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2020
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2021
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2022
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2023
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2024
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Exemption Class H - Held for Minister of Religion
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7
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4
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4
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3
|
3
|
|
Disregard MRC - Member of a Religious Community
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8
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8
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8
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10
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6
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The Council is unable to provide the names of the premises as this is part of the Council's Business Rates data. Following the decision of First Tier Tribunal General Regulatory Chamber (Information Rights) under reference EA/2018/0033 which confirms that information regarding business rate accounts engages Section 31(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs that in disclosing the information. The decision referred to can be found at http://informationrights.decisions.tribunals.gov.uk/DBFiles/Decision/i2557/Westminster%20City%20Council%20EA-2018-0033%20(04.12.19).pdf. For the reasons detailed in the Tribunal’s decision, this information is not available for disclosure.
Explanation of reductions
Members of religious communities’ reduction:
If you are a member of a religious community and apart from you there is only one adult living in your home, you can apply for a 25% discount on your Council Tax.
A person is a member of a religious community if:
- the main occupation of the religious community consists of prayer, contemplation, education, the relief of suffering, or a range of these; and
- he or she has no income or capital of his or her own (with the exception of any occupational pension due to former employment) and is dependent on the religious community for his or her material needs.
Class H – Held for Minister of Religion
The property must be unoccupied but need not be unfurnished. It must be held available for occupation by a Minister of any religious denomination, for the purpose of allowing him or her to perform the duties of office.
3. This is not a consideration in the consideration of planning applications. Tax relief is available for any religious denomination.