A Black day as rates rise forces cut in staff hours

NIGHTCLUB staff will have their hours cut after a rates rise of more than 70%.

The hike imposed on Betty Blacks in Bangor, Co Down, is the equivalent of a full-time wage.

A sweeping valuation of businesses has hit the hospitality industry particularly hard with “significant increases” to high street pub rates.

Michael Brennan, who runs the nightclub, said there were only two ways to offset the cost – to drop staff or put up prices.

He believes the system used to assess businesses like his is unfair.

Mr Brennan added: “I’m working 100 hours a week trying to make my business successful and I get penalised.”

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Alliance MLA Andrew Muir called for transitional relief to help businesses cope.

He added: “An owner who has worked hard to make their business a success is penalised. This is an outdated method of valuation and needs to be reviewed urgently.”

A Department of Finance spokesperson said holding off on increases would be “very difficult to justify financially”.

They added: “The methodology used is the same as used by the valuation authorities in Great Britain.”

A total of 74,000 businesses here were assessed and for three-quarters rates will decrease or stay the same.

Hospitality Ulster’s Colin Neill said employers would be forced to cut staff and opening hours.

He added: “A lot of guys will be in that 50% to 100% increase.

“We are highly labour dependent – so it’s [cutting staff] the only way we can adjust.”

LARGE BILL Betty Blacks