Business Rates

Usdaw urges chancellor to announce retail recovery plan

Retail trade union Usdaw is calling on the chancellor to announce in Wednesday’s (8 June) economic statement an “urgent recovery plan” for the “struggling retail industry”, which is developed with trade unions and retail employers. Some of the factors, Usdaw is urging the government to cover fundamental business rates, an…

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High street retailers ‘urgently’ need government recovery plan, says Usdaw

Shopworkers union Usdaw has urged the government to agree with employers and trade unions a recovery plan for the high street as “thousands of further job losses are announced”. The union said the scale of job losses across the retail industry is “accelerating” as the high street continues to struggle…

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BVA join forces with other healthcare professions to launch petition for business rates relief

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is appealing to the profession to support and widely share a new petition urging the government to grant business rates relief to human and animal healthcare providers affected by Covid-19. The petition, led by the British Dental Association (BDA), calls on the Government to allow…

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Bira welcomes business rates revaluation postponement in Wales

The British Retailers Association (Bira) has welcomed the decision by the Welsh government to delay the revaluation of business rates.  The announcement follows a similar ruling made in England on 6 May, which resulted in the government scrapping a bill to reevaluate business rates in 2021. The decision to postpone…

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Trouble ahead for retail vacancy rates, warns BRC

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Local Data Company has said the new BRC-LDC Vacancy Monitor has revealed that the rate of store vacancies increased to 12.2% in March. The monitor also reported a 0.3% decrease in vacancy rates in shopping centres to 14.1% compared with 14.4%. The South West and Wales…

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Business rates revaluation postponed until 2022

A revaluation of business rates will no longer take place in 2021 in line with the government’s latest efforts to “reduce uncertainty” for firms affected by the ongoing pandemic.   Communities Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP confirmed that legislation has now been introduced to bring the next revaluation forward by…

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Revaluation of business rates postponed following pressure from Bira

A government plan to bring forward the next revaluation of business rates to April 1, 2021, has been shelved following pressure from the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira). Bira joined other heads of the retail sector in demanding that Chancellor Rishi Sunak withdraw ‘disastrous’ legislation, which was due to be…

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Bira welcomes additional support for Scottish retailers

Bira has welcomed a move by the Scottish Government to give additional financial support to small retail businesses. Scottish Ministers have announced a second phase of funding – worth £120m – in response to the outbreak of coronavirus, which results in businesses with one property will get a 100% grant.…

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How to help your business navigate Covid-19: Now and in the future

It’s a challenging time to be in business, whether you’re part of the supply chain or a customer-facing retail business.    With all the challenges of social distancing and people being encouraged to stay home, it’s difficult enough to bring in both your staff and your customers and try to keep…

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BIRA fight ‘anomaly’ in government grant funding

The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) is highlighting an ‘anomaly’ in government grant funding meaning small independent retailers could be missing out on £15,000 Covid-19 cash. According to real estate advisory firm Altus Group almost 3,700 small shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants could miss out on the money. An early…

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