Publican’s warning as rates more than double
APUBLICAN who sees his rates more than double today from £9,000 to £21,000 is warning that more and more watering-holes will close.
Derek Gaynor, who runs the Highwayman in Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan, has seen his business adversely affected by a revaluation for 2017.
Now he is warning that unless there is more help for pubs, more and more will disappear.
“These increases are killing off the pub trade,” he said. “This is the final nail in the coffin. At the moment the figures show that 27 pubs are closing a week on average, it is being estimated that with rate increases that is going to rise to 60.
“What makes it worse is that we have to pay for our own bins, there is no street lighting around us and our waste is processed through a cesspit.
“It means that we are going to have to put our prices up and that is not fair on the customers.”
Derek has also called on the Welsh Government to give small businesses like his more support.
But a Welsh Government spokesman said: “The independent Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is responsible for the revaluation of non-domestic rates across the UK.
“The majority of businesses in Wales will see a reduction in their non-domestic rates, but some businesses have been adversely affected by the 2017 revaluation.
“We have listened to the concerns of businesses and announced an extra £20m of support for small businesses in 2017-18 through two bespoke schemes – a transitional support scheme and a high street rate relief scheme. The £10m high street rate relief scheme is specifically targeted at pubs, shops, restaurants and cafés, and provides up to £1,500 of additional assistance.
“Both of these schemes, which are in addition to our £100m Small Business Rates Relief scheme, are fully funded by the Welsh Government.
“More than half of businesses in Wales pay no rates at all compared to a third in England after its new small business scheme starts in April.
“In total the Welsh Government will be providing more than £200m of financial assistance in 2017-18, which will benefit three-quarters of all ratepayers.”
A spokesman for the Vale of Glamorgan Council added: “A general revaluation of non-domestic properties will take effect from 1st April 2017 and this has been shown on the 2017/18 bills recently sent out.
“The rateable value of a property is set by the independent Valuation Office Agency. Business rates are then collected by the council and paid into a central pool that is redistributed equally to councils and police authorities across Wales.
“The Vale of Glamorgan Council uses its share of this income, together with that received from council tax payments and the annual grant from Welsh Government, to pay for the services we provide.”