News Archive

SCC Calls for Scottish Government to Rethink Plans to Increase Business Rates

Commenting ahead of a debate in the Scottish Parliament on a motion from the Scottish Conservatives' Gavin Brown MSP calling for the Scottish Government to abandon plans to increase Business Rates bills on empty properties by up to 80%, Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: 'We share the Scottish Government's ambition to reinvigorate our town centres and to reduce the number of vacant properties on our High Streets.  We want to see these premises occupied, either by retail businesses or through change of use to office or residential purposes. 'However the reason we have so many empty properties at present is more due to a lack of demand than prohibitively high rents and therefore if we are to address the problem, the solution must involve stimulation of demand.  The Scottish Government's plan to slash the value of empty property relief will do nothing to stimulate demand and will only serve to increase the financial burden on property owners at a time when we should be working with them to ensure that the supply of property is appropriate for modern town centres. 'The future prosperity of our town centres will require a more healthy mix of retail, office, residential and leisure use and this will require investment from property owners.  Increasing their business rates liability by up to 80% will do nothing to assist this process and, indeed, could hinder it. 'If the reduction in Empty Property Relief is intended to reduce the number of vacant premises then it is a poorly judged policy.  In England, where Empty Property Relief was axed back in 2008, vacancy levels have soared from 3% to over 14% - evidence that it is lack of demand as a result of the recession that is the major factor in the rise of empty properties. 'We would call upon the Scottish Government to abandon its plans to cut Empty Property Relief and engage in a constructive discussion with local businesses and property owners to identify a credible solution to the blight of empty properties in our town centres.'

22/06/12

In Your Shoes

Amber Farquhar

Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce

Read more

Lorna Watson

Interface

Read more

Ben Finnie

Gilson Gray LLP

Read more

Scott Grant

ANGUSalive

Read more

Vladimir

Stock Doctor

Read more

Here's The Plan Team

Here's The Plan Ltd

Read more

Heather Whyte

Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce

Read more

Becca McCallum

Ginger

Read more

Lee Harrow

Engage PR

Read more

Clark Boles

CBO Associates Limited

Read more

Lynne Short

Dundee City Council

Read more

Liam Duncan

Astute (Scotland) Ltd

Read more

A View From The Bridge

Caryn Gibson

Dundee & Angus College

Read more

Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce

Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce

Read more

Wayne Paul

University of Dundee

Read more

Alison Henderson

Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce

Read more

Jason Condie

Condie & Co Ltd

Read more

Graham Parker

Condie & Co Ltd

Read more

Alison Henderson

Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce

Read more

Jenn Stewart

Johnston Carmichael (Scotland) Ltd

Read more

Take a Seat

Jason Condie

Condie & Co Ltd

Read more

Neil Mather

University of Dundee

Read more

Graham Parker

Condie & Co Ltd

Read more

Graham Parker

Condie & Co Ltd

Read more

Anthony Brennan

MTC Media Ltd

Read more

Susan McFadyen

Blackadders LLP

Read more

Graham Huband

D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.

Read more

Dr Jon Wilkin

Abertay University

Read more

Margi Vilnay

University of Dundee

Read more

Chi Onyekaba

University of Dundee

Read more

Yvette Hill

Kip McGrath Education Centre Dundee

Read more

Mark Riddell

m3 Networks Limited

Read more

In Chamber Shoes

Digital Transformation Team

Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce

Read more

Alison Henderson

Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce

Read more

2018 Draws to a close!

Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce

Read more

Alison Henderson

Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce

Read more