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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Wales must reform business rates to help businesses and aid regeneration
July 20, 2011 9:33 PM
Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member, Peter Black and the party's Parliamentary Spokesperson in Swansea West, Peter May have joined together to call on the Welsh Government to follow the example of Ministers in Westminster and give Councils the right to set local business rates and keep the revenue they generate.
Under the current local government funding system, government dishes out grant allocations to councils each year based on an incomprehensible formula that is far too complex and lacking in transparency. Most of this money is funded by the business rates, collected locally, but funnelled centrally, and then reallocated. Councils are left at the whim of the formula-setter in Whitehall and Cardiff Bay, and there is no incentive to promote business growth either. All you get are the extra HGVs, but none of the rates income.
"Under the new system being proposed by Liberal Democrat Local Government Minister, Andrew Stunnell, councils in England will be able to keep the money raised by business rates in their own area," said Peter May. "They will then benefit from any future growth in local businesses by keeping the extra revenue generated through the rates system. In addition, Councils will also have the power to borrow against this future income so as to invest in regenerating run-down areas. This could be a a win-win for Swansea, subject only to some safeguards for rural councils and others with lower business rate bases."
Peter Black added: "The Welsh Liberal Democrats believe that the business rate system is not fit for purpose. We want to see these reforms apply in Wales as well. That will also enable Councils to help small businesses who invest in improving their premises or who are struggling to survive. The Welsh Government cannot ignore this important reform in England. Welsh councils need tools like this to boost their local economy. They should be given them."
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