Councillors asked to write off £88k debt

THE pandemic’s impact on businesses and in council debt collection work has increased the amount of irrecoverable, unpaid business rates and council tax, Rossendale council’s cabinet were due to be told on Wednesday night.

Councillors were to be asked to approve the writing-off of more than £88,000 in business rates, at a direct cost of £35,000 to the borough council.

The cabinet is also being asked to approve writing-off more than £12,000 in unpaid council tax, at the direct cost of £1,700 to the borough council and more than £39,000 in housing benefit overpayments, at no direct cost to the authority, which says it has reserves to cope.

Businesses listed as owing more than £5,000 in business rates are

Mercer House 1842, which was based at Bacup Leisure Hall and owed £7,000, Verdeolyv at

White House, Holcombe Road, owed more than £10,000. R Soper Ltd at Grane Road Mill, Haslingden, owed more than £29,000.

Rossendale United Holdings, based at Rossendale Supporters Club, Dark Lane, owed more than £6,000 and Rossendale Inns Ltd, based at the Jolly Sailor, Booth Road, owed more than £20,700.

Reasons for non-payment include companies being dissolved, going into administration, or being simply listed as “irrecoverable” in the report. Two unnamed council tax debtors are listed in Edenfield and Waterfoot where each owed around £6,000, according the report.