Explanatory note

The Local Government Finance Act 1988 provides for mandatory relief from non-domestic rates for public houses, petrol filling stations, general stores, food stores and post offices, and discretionary relief for hereditaments used for purposes beneficial to the local community, in certain rural settlements in areas designated as rural areas by order of the Secretary of State. This order designates further areas in England only, in addition to those designated by S.I. 1997/2792, S.I. 1998/393, S.I. 1998/2836 and S.I. 1999/3158. This order provides for all of England outside of the local authority areas listed in the Schedule and the urban areas shown on the maps to be designated as a rural area.

The maps referred to in Article 1 of the Order may be inspected during normal office hours at the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU. These maps are based on census information from the Office of National Statistics.