Five leading Business Improvement Districts have added their
voices to that of the Scottish Retail Consortium in calling on
Scottish Government and MSPs to introduce a permanent business
rate discount for all retail, hospitality, and leisure premises.
The joint plea comes ahead of the unveiling of the Scottish
Government's Budget on 13 January and in the wake of the UK
Budget, which introduced a permanent business rate discount for
retail, hospitality, and leisure premises in England.
The five Improvement Districts cover the cities of Aberdeen,
Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, and Stirling and each has a
significant stake in the success of their retail, hospitality,
tourism, and leisure sectors. Together these sectors employ
457,000 Scots across the country.
In an open letter to MSPs and Scottish Ministers they write:
Dear MSP,
Permanent business rate discount for all Retail,
Hospitality and Leisure
Our ambition is for Scotland's cities and towns to continue
to be great places to do business.
However, the UK Budget has shifted the goal posts. Retail,
Hospitality and Leisure businesses in England will receive a
permanently discounted business rate from April. This will see a
5p in the £ discount to their business rate, which roughly
equates to a 10 per cent discount.
Our cities and towns are the backbone of regional economies
and communities across Scotland. The everyday economy drives
footfall and provides local and flexible jobs and career
opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Scots. If the retail,
hospitality and leisure sectors in Scotland miss out on a
permanent dedicated business rate discount we fear this will have
tangible consequences for our city and town centres. If locations
such as these become less viable to trade profitably that will
affect commercial investment and jobs and make economic recovery
more challenging.
As our regional economies and places adapt to a new economic
model in straitened times there remains a critical need for
continued investment. Creating the best investment conditions for
retail, hospitality and leisure premises is vital to keeping
these businesses attractive to customers, supporting the wider
local business ecosystem, and to minimise the number of empty
units and boarded-up premises on our high streets. Scotland must
not become a materially more expensive place to operate as it
would likely shift investment to other parts of the UK which is
not in our collective interest.
We know there is a range of views on reforming business
rates. However, we are united in asking Parliamentarians ahead of
the Scottish Budget to maintain competitiveness and introduce a
permanent business rate discount for all retail, hospitality and
leisure premises; one which is at least as competitive as is
planned for England. This would help deliver on pledges about
business rates competitiveness and support commercial investment
and growth in our city and town centres and regional
economies.
Yours sincerely,
David Lonsdale, Director, Scottish Retail Consortium
Adrian Watson, Chief Executive Officer, Aberdeen Inspired
BID
Roddy , Chief Executive, Essential
Edinburgh
Danielle McRorie-Smith, Executive Director, Go Forth Stirling
BID
Lorraine Bremner McBride, Director, Inverness Business
Improvement District
Kyron Keogh, Chair, Let's Go Glasgow BID
