SMALL East Lancashire pubs will soon start to benefit from the government’s new rate relief scheme.

Blackburn with Darwen council will next week become the latest of the area’s local authorities to authorise its own scheme for reducing the tax it imposes on small businesses.

The new system was announced in Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Budget earlier this year.

His relief package with a £300million discretionary fund, which is spread over four years across English councils, includes provision for a £1,000 discount on a year’s rates bill for pubs with a rateable value of less than £100,000.

It is up to local councils, who receive funds quarterly, to decide the local businesses that need help.

On Thursday Blackburn with Darwen Borough’s executive board will approve its scheme with £176,000 allocated in this year to March 31 2018 and £86,000 for the following 12 months.

Pubs eligible will be contacted directly.

Last month Burnley and Hyndburn councils authorised their scheme for eligible pubs and for other small firms which were subject to sharp increases in their business rates due to a nationwide revaluation.

Both have budgeted £100,000 for this year with Burnley allocating £44,000 for 2018/19 and Hyndburn £38,000.

Ribble Valley council is in the process of writing to pub landlords and landladies to ask them apply for the relief.

The scheme has been welcomed by Emma Kearney, who runs the Black Dog in Oswaldtwistle with her husband Colin Manford.

She said: “This is good news for small pubs like ours, some of which are really struggling.

“In the current climate any cash bonus like this is really helpful.

“The days of pub landlords and landladies driving Jags and going on thee holidays a year are long gone.

“Hyndburn council have been really good and written to us and other pubs eligible to make sure we apply.”

Mark Briggs, Lancashire Telegraph beer correspondent, said: “This relief is welcome but more needs to be done.

“Business rates are a real burden on pubs and many, are struggling to survive.”