High Streets Minister Jake Berry has set out the Government’s plans to support local shops in an address to the annual ACS Heart of the Community Conference in London at Church House, Westminster on October 17^th.

Berry said: “Local shops are a key part of our communities up and down the nation, so it’s great that the Association of Convenience Stores plays a central role in driving the High Street agenda forward. Their expertise is having a direct impact on the Government’s aims to drive local growth, making sure that communities continue to enjoy a healthy range of shops and services so they can shop, work and play.”

Research conducted by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) earlier this year into the views of consumers, retailers and local councillors shows that convenience stores and Post Offices are the two services that have the most positive impact on a local area.

The latest figures from the ACS Investment Tracker also show that convenience stores have invested £874m over the past year, with £229m invested in the last three months alone.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Convenience stores are integral to their communities, providing essential jobs for local people, investing in their businesses to improve the local economy and acting as a community hub for local customers. Retailers must ensure that they engage locally to show councils and other local decision makers the value of their business, and Heart of the Community conference is a great way to hear new ways of doing this from people that have seen success as a result of local engagement.

“With recently elected mayors, police and crime commissioners, local councils and other enforcement authorities all making decisions locally, there has never been a more important time for retailers to be part of the vision for the future of their community. We will continue to support these retailers in making a case for their business, as well as representing their interests to central government on key issues like business rate reform, crime prevention and the cost of employment in the sector.”

Jake Berry MP is MP for Rossendale and Darwen and Minister for High Streets within the Department for Communities and Local Government. His ministerial responsibilities include; high streets, local growth policy, mayors and devolution, Local Enterprise Partnerships and community rights.

Source: ACS

Leading trade and consumer associations representing the UK’s pub sector and pub-goers have jointly called on the Government to take decisive action on unfair business rates.

The call for action follows today’s RPI inflation figures of 3.9% which will see the sector pay an additional £60 million in business rates from next April, equivalent to over £1,500 per pub.

There are four factors contributing to the increase in the business rates from April 2018: the proposed increase in the business rates multiplier; the tapering off of transitional rate relief; the end of the £1,000 pub-sector specific relief introduced at the March 2017 Budget; and, a reduction in local level transitional support (decreasing by £90m per year).

The increase is further compounded by the impact of last year’s rates revaluation which continues to lead to an increase in taxes just a year on. Eating and drinking out businesses, particularly pubs, have been hit hard by the latest rates revaluation. Further increases risk undermining investment and could ultimately threaten jobs.

The pub sector is already overpaying on rates by over £500 million and faces further increases of over £125 million during this revaluation period. The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, British Beer & Pub Association, British Institute of Inn-keeping, Campaign for Real Ale and Society of Independent Brewers are calling for the extension of business rates relief for pub and an increase in the amount of relief to £5,000 – which would reduce the level of overpayment by about one third.

The group is also calling on the Government to switch to using CPI to calculate rates at the earliest opportunity, which would lessen the impact in 2018 by £6 million.

In a joint statement, the five leading industry and consumer bodies said:

“Pubs have been hit disproportionately hard by the recent business rates increase and we need decisive action urgently. Pubs and other venues pay around 15p per pint in business rates. This is indicative of the skewed and unfair nature of the current system that unreasonably punishes businesses that are vital economically and important social hubs.

“If the Government does not take steps to address this inequality and provide support for vital businesses then investment is going to continue to be undermined and jobs will be at risk. With the current political and economic instability surrounding Brexit, decisive action on business rates would be welcome and timely support.” 

Source: ALMR