Shop bosses pile on rates pressure

SHOP owners ramped up the pressure on Chancellor Philip Hammond to take action on business rates south of the Border in tomorrow’s Budget, as figures revealed sales fell 0.4 per cent last month.

Takings were dented by a slowdown in non-food sales in February, according to the British Retail Consortium.

Their chief executive Helen Dickinson said of the Budget: “We hope to see a commitment from Government to lay the path to a sustainable business rates system that will give retailers the flexibility needed to invest and support their communities.”

The signs are that Hammond will do just that for smaller businesses.

SALES of diesel cars dived more than nine per cent last month. Some 36,981 new diesel motors were bought in February, 3730 fewer than a year ago, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said.

The market share of diesels tumbled from 48.8 per cent to 44.5 per cent as a result. The drop comes amid talk of banning diesel cars from city centres because of concerns about particulate emissions.

By contrast, sales of petrol cars jumped 5.8 per cent, the SMMT said.

PUB bosses are calling for a cut in beer duty. The British Beer and Pub Association say a combination of rising business rates, the national minimum wage, auto enrolment pensions and the apprenticeship levy will add 5.3p tax to the price of the average pint.

BBPA boss Brigid Simmonds said: “Our beer taxes are already three times the EU average.”