Charity fights local authority effort to remove its charitable rate relief

Lincolnshire Agricultural Society has challenged West Lindsey District Council’s attempt to remove its charitable rate relief.

The society operates from the 243 acre Lincolnshire Showground, and is a charity set up in 1869 to promote knowledge about food and farming. Because of this work it has had 80% charitable rate relief for decades, but the council has challenged this status.

A statement from the society said it was fighting West Lindsey’s legal action as, without the rate relief, some of its events could be scaled back or entry prices could have to increase for the Lincolnshire Show and other activities.

Chair Jane Hiles said: “Without the charitable rate relief, the [society] could be faced with an annual increased cost of almost £70,000 per year – money that is currently earmarked in delivering our educational work.”

She said the Lincolnshire Show did not make a profit and that poor weather in 2019 coupled with the costs of fighting the council’s legal action had seen a trading loss of more than £100,000 in 2018-19.

Jayne Southall, chief executive of the Lincolnshire Showground, said the case could be “a landmark” if West Lindsey won.

She said: “The showground operates in the same way as around 20 other major agricultural showgrounds across the UK.

“We believe the showground plays a pivotal role in allowing the society to achieve its charitable objective and that, as such, the venue should qualify for the charitable rate relief that it has always historically received.”

West Lindsey declined to comment.