howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Good news for Dover but Ramsgate town centre was desolate last time I was there and certainly can't handle a major rise.
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent-business/county-news/what-will-your-business-rates-47715/howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
There are suggestions that it is not necessarily a boost for our town centre as landlords will be aware of the situation and are likely to raise rents in line.
Guest 1621- Registered: 17 Dec 2015
- Posts: 32
I have limited understanding but doesn't this mean the local authority gets less from the rates? From what I read, the LA gets 'a proportion', meaning not just less money for business development, but less money when things are already difficult.
"All is flux, nothing stays still." - Heraclitus of Ephesus
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
At the moment HMRC set the rate, local councils send out the bills. collect the dosh then hand over to HMRC who then decide how much to send back to local councils. Unfortunately they have been sending the most up north irrespective of whether an area needs it or not and the "affluent" South gets very little back. Parts of East Kent are amongst the most deprived parts of the country and parts of the Wirral do not have corner shops but designer clothing emporiums, jewellers and high performance car showrooms in Lieu. Unfortunately our politicians rarely venture into the real world.
I believe this is changing next year to a system where every local authority keeps what they collect from the business rates, will be interesting to see how this pans out in reality.
Guest 1621- Registered: 17 Dec 2015
- Posts: 32
Thanks for the explanation Howard. I agree with your comment about the landlords, but hopefully they won't get any greedier. Do you think that lower rates can really attract new business?
"All is flux, nothing stays still." - Heraclitus of Ephesus
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Certainly hope so Ian, most traders I know list high business rate and red tape ahead of rents. Landlords should be grimly aware of the DTIZ taking a lot of footfall away from the town centre and see the need to keep rents in check.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,888
Howard, do you really think the cinema, assorted restaurants and a couple of stores will really affect the town centre? It will take something a lot more interesting to get me to trudge that far.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Disagree Jan car owners will pay much the same as they do parking in town and Stagecoach will amend their routings in line with demand. M & S will have left the town centre before then and I am confident that other shop chains will follow suit once building commences.
Bob Whysman
- Registered: 23 Aug 2013
- Posts: 1,938
Do nothing and nothing happens.
Guest 1621- Registered: 17 Dec 2015
- Posts: 32
Unfortunately most new developments seem to be aimed at chain stores with the size of the units. One of the great things about Dover is that it has lots of traditional shop units in streets other than 'the High Street' or the Shopping Centre, so I hope new smaller traders are attracted by more favourable rates.
"All is flux, nothing stays still." - Heraclitus of Ephesus
Do nothing and nothing happens.