Pub discount scheme

The government has announced a business rate discount of £1,000 for all occupied public houses with a rateable value below £100,000.

Our  Pub Discount Scheme [461kb] allows us to award up to a £1,000 business rates discount to eligible public houses in Aldershot and Farnborough.

The discount is available for the financial year 1 April 2020 - 31 March 2021 only.

How to qualify

To qualify for the discount the public house must meet the following criteria:

• It is open to the general public
• Allows free entry, other than when occasional entertainment is provided
• Allows drinking without requiring food to be consumed
• Permits drinks to be purchased at the bar
• A social club primarily used as a drinking establishment where membership is not restricted.

Premises which are excluded from this scheme:

• Restaurant and cafes
• Festival sites
• Nightclubs
• Theatres
• Hotels
• Museums
• Snack bars
• Exhibition halls
• Guest houses and boarding houses
• Cinemas
• Sporting venues
• Concert halls
• Music venues
• Casinos

The government originally announced the scheme in the Spring 2017 budget and was this was awarded to all eligible public houses for the financial year 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018. The government re-introduced the pub discount scheme in January 2020.

We are able to decide who qualifies for the relief based on the qualifying criteria our adopted  Pub Discount Scheme [461kb] policy. The policy was approved by a meeting at the council's cabinet on 3 March 2020.

Applying for the Discount

Eligible businesses have been automatically awarded the pub discount.

You can also apply by filling in and returning our  Pub Discount application form [105kb] and  De Minimis declaration (pub) form [144kb].

Businesses that receive the discount will receive a bill showing their reduced business rates.

For more details, please contact our Business Rates team using the contact details on this page.