Business Rates

[DodgyAgent]

Why has this not happened before across the country?

I really do not understand why business rates have not been dramatically cut in areas with large amounts of empty premises.

Rochdale proposes to cut business rates by up to 80% | News | Drapers

BBC News - High Street: Portas criticises government over 'token gestures'

[sal]

an 80% discount on their business rates for the first year, with a further 50% cut in the second year.

Then what? I guess close the shop and move the the next unit to keep on saving...

Business rates are ridiculous and need to be greatly reduced, half a** measures like this are like band aid on a severed limb.

[TheFaQQer]

It still won't be enough for Rochdale - FFS, even McDonalds pulled out a few uears back because the town centre was so dire.

[VectraMan]

The really stupid thing about all this kerfuffle over the failing High Street is that near enough everywhere still charges for parking. Essentially it's an extra tax that the out of town shoppers don't have to pay, and then we wonder why people don't go to the High Street shops anymore.

[lilelvis2000]

Business rates is a business killer. Its no wonder that in some towns all the high street consists of is charity shops.

[d000hg]

We saw a place was for rent in Durham - nominally on the "high street" but realistically a location where many businesses had tried and failed. It was a beautiful 4-storey building but only the bottom floor was really useful as a shop. Out of curiosity we looked up the rates and it was something like £15k a month. This for something about the size of a smallish coffee shop. I did the sums how much you'd have to sell based on reasonable profit margin and it was just ridiculous.

The shop next door is TopShop and has been for 10+ years but I believe they have low rates on their lease - no established business could easily afford current rates.

So now, the shop in question has a semi-popup shop selling mobile phone accessories. I assume they get some deal to pay virtually no rates, in return for "house-sitting"... is that likely?

[TestMangler]

In Scotland, if a premises has a rateable value of under £8500, then you get 100% relief.

Reliefs go down on a sliding scale as the rateable value goes up, but it's a good policy for keeping small businesses open, especially in rural areas. Thank you English taxpayers for funding this for us

[fullyautomatix]

I think the town centre parking changes are ridiculous. Parking is used to generate massive cash for the councils. Time to get rid of that and make it free.

[BolshieBastard]

Why has this not happened before across the country?

I really do not understand why business rates have not been dramatically cut in areas with large amounts of empty premises.

Rochdale proposes to cut business rates by up to 80% | News | Drapers

BBC News - High Street: Portas criticises government over 'token gestures'

Because councils want to wring the last penny out of businesses and really dont give a ****.

I ran a retail business for 5 years with Mrs Bolshie. We were lucky to get out with the clothes on our back. The local council use every trick in the book to screw you for money.

They repeatedly questioned us where we took our rubbish and why we were not buying rubbish removal services from them. We repeatedly told them (and showed them) we recycled virtually everything. The small amount of stuff we didnt recycle, was stored on site.

They just would not believe you could recycle so much stuff and continually pestered us. Eventually to shut them up and get them off our back, we engaged a certified waste disposal company to come and take away one bin sack of rubbish. It cost us £50 but also provided a certification of waste.

The next time the council came round and demanded to know where our rubbish went I stuffed the certificate under the weasel's nose. I kid not, he spent 10 minutes closely examining the certificate and phoned his office to confirm the company was on the council's approved list of waste companies!

Its no wonder there are so many empty stores.

[d000hg]

I think the town centre parking changes are ridiculous. Parking is used to generate massive cash for the councils. Time to get rid of that and make it free.

I agree but when they charge for parking and the car-parks are still full, and shops aren't selling - then what? I think my town introduced street parking because they had too many people trying to park!