There has been continued campaigning from the EY sector to access 100% business rate relief for settings in England, in line with those in Scotland and Wales. A recent petition calling for business rates relief gained over 10,000 signatures, but relief was only offered during the Covid-19 crisis.
You may be interested in these active petitions
Early Years settings in the UK are hugely underfunded. Since the minimum wage was introduced in 1998 it has increased by 189%, NOT including new pension and NI obligations for employers. In the same period, minimum Government funding for free hours in early years settings has increased by less by 75%. We believe rate relief is long overdue to offer some small recognition and consistency across Great Britain.