New salon owner hopes to nail success

BEAUTY salon owner Khadija Bhatti hopes success for her new town centre shop is nailed on.

Pearl Nail and Beauty Salon opened on The Walk just a few weeks’ ago and already has people queuing up for treatment for their nails, brows, eyelashes, waxing, threading and facials.

Her shop is the latest to open in the town centre taking advantage of Rochdale Council’s business rates discount scheme.

Khadija said: “I am so pleased to be in Rochdale town centre right now.

“The council’s business rates sale has given me a great opportunity, the costs of setting up in a unit for the first time are so high, it has been a great help.

New retailers opening in the town centre are entitled to an 80 per cent reduction to her first year’s business rates, 50pc in the second and 30pc in the third.

In total, 22 new shops have opened under the scheme and seen the number of empty shops reduce dramatically.

Council leader Richard Farnell said: “It’s brilliant to see yet another local business taking advantage of our innovative business ●●Rochdale town centre manager Mark Foxley, MP Simon Danczuk and council leader Richard Farnell visit Khadija Bhatt’s new shop Pearl Nail and Beauty Salon in The Walk rates scheme. The fact we’ve now extended it to Heywood and Middleton demonstrates our continued commitment to new businesses throughout the borough.”

MP Simon Danczuk MP, who first suggested the scheme to the council, said: “Supporting local businesses like Pearl Nails is what the council’s business rates reduction scheme is all about. It’s great to see more independent shops opening up.”

Town centre manager Mark Foxley said: “The council has invested hundreds of millions of pounds into the town centre to make it a destination of choice for discerning shopper.

“But that will only work if we have a retail offer which people want. Khadija‘s brilliant business fits that mould perfectly.”