CHARITIES like Upton Community Care and non-profit making organisations like Malvern Theatre Players will continue to get rate relief from Malvern Hills District Council.

The council is to continue granting mandatory non domestic rate relief of 80 per cent and up to 20 per cent discretionary rate relief to charities.

It will also continue to grant 20 per cent discretionary rate relief to village hall trusts, scouts and guides groups and similar uniformed organisations, as well as Citizens Advice Bureaux.

The council will also continue to offer up to 100 per cent discretionary relief to non-charitabale non-profit making organisations and relief to other individual organisations which qualify under its assessment criteria.

Malvern Hills reviewed which groups receive discretionary relief in 2006/07 and plans to conduct another review in 2010.

Peter Gillett, head of finance and resources told the executive committee: "The scheme for granting mandatory and discretionary rate relief makes an important contribution to the financial viability of community-based organsations."

The committee also approved the extension into 2008/09 of the current discretionary rural rate relief scheme for businesses in settlements with fewer than 3,000 residents.