Fylde small business organisation's anger over rates aid fund

Blackpool-based Federation of Small Businesses has hit out after it was revealed that  small firms are still waiting on £300m in '˜emergency' business rates support, 300 days after its launch.
Mike CherryMike Cherry
Mike Cherry

Responding to new research from Gerald Eve indicating that over 40 per cent of the £175m allocated to councils for the year ending March 2018 from the Chancellor’s £300m business rates hardship fund is yet to be passed on to local firms.

Federation of small businesses national chairman Mike Cherry, said: “It’s hard to believe that small firms hit by last year’s bruising business rates revaluation are still waiting on what, at the time, was dubbed emergency support 10 months after it was launched.

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“The small business community was indeed facing an emergency this time last year. Our research showed that one in five firms facing business rates hikes were planning to sell, hand-on or close their business.

"What’s really shocking is that in some cases you have the Government confirming that councils have emergency schemes in place, when in reality they’ve given out very little, and in some instances none.

“And of course there’s no guarantee that councils will have access to their year one allocation once we get to April.

“Many local authorities have designed great emergency support schemes, enabling them to get their allocation out to the firms that need it months ago. If some can get their houses in order, they all can.”

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