Market Drayton firm owner vows to keep fighting for business rates relief
A business owner railing against what he calls the 'injustice' of being ordered to pay full business rates for this year despite coronavirus has been granted a reprieve until April.
Kim Smith of Gill's Puddings, in Market Drayton, said that with his bakeries being shut for the majority of the year thanks to the pandemic, he and other businesses who have been impacted should be entitled to relief.
He had insisted to Shropshire Council that he would fight their claim, and the council has now given him until April 5 next year – to pay the full amount of almost £12,000.
He has vowed to carry on pushing for a reduction in the business rates and has written to his MP Owen Paterson for support.
"It has provided us a window of time to fight our case," he said, "and we will fight it.
"We suffered harshly because of an act of Parliament."
The bakeries had to close, all of its staff were furloughed and stock went to waste.
But because the firm doesn't qualify as a hospitality business, it was not eligible for the rate relief scheme made available to that sector.
'Injustice'
Gill's Puddings supplies to dozens of hotels, restaurants, football clubs and other outlets around the country. The lockdown meant that many orders were cancelled.
Even as England emerges from its second lockdown, Mr Smith said, many of the businesses in Tier 3 areas will not be able to carry on selling the puddings meaning a further impact on sales.
He also pointed to the country's biggest supermarkets, which were given £1.9bn in rates relief in anticipation of a slump in business earlier this year – only for supermarkets to see sales rise during the first lockdown.
In a statement to the company's Facebook page, he said: "We aim to fight this injustice as there must be thousands of businesses up and down the country who have been left to fend for themselves, or told to go to the bank and borrow money to keep going, when others have received help even if they didn’t need it."
A spokesman for Shropshire Council said: “While recognising the impact that Covid 19 has had on many businesses, Shropshire Council is still providing vital services to support our community and help those most in need, and therefore does need to collect the business rates from those businesses not identified by the Government for support with their business rates.
“Of course, it remains within the Government's power to extend business rate relief as it sees fit to include other business sectors, and recompense the council for any revenue lost as a result.
“Any business that wishes to discuss repayment of their rates should contact the business rates team on 0345 678 9002.”
