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Small Business Strategy Inquiry 2025 - ACT and Bira call for members to share their voice

20 Jun 2025

The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee has asked the ACT, and its parent company Bira, to help them reach out to small business retailers across the country, for their quick input on... Read more…

Beyond the discount: Restoring integrity to the cycle supply chain

18 Jun 2025

The Association of Cycle Traders believes the time has come for greater accountability throughout our supply chain, writes ACT Director Jonathan Harrison in an article published for BikeBiz.
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Bira welcomes Wales' business rates proposals but calls for key improvements

11 Jun 2025

Bira has welcomed the Welsh Government's consultation on business rate reforms for retail shops, whilst calling for significant improvements to ensure the proposals truly support high street... Read more…

New awards launch to champion Britain's independent high street heroes

9 Jun 2025

Retailers on Britain's high streets are being encouraged to put themselves forward for the first-ever Love Your High Street Awards, designed to celebrate the small businesses that bring... Read more…

"Tectonic shift" in employment law threatens independent retailer viability, warns Bira podcast

6 Jun 2025

Independent retailers are facing a "generational" transformation of employment law that could fundamentally change how small businesses operate, according to the final episode of Bira's first... Read more…

Retailers hope warm weather and bank holidays will boost high street sales

16 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has said that members are hopeful the warm weather, Easter weekend and upcoming bank holidays will provide a much-needed boost to high street sales.
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Economic growth surges to 0.7%, but "April reality check" looms for high street retailers

15 May 2025

UK economy delivers strongest quarterly performance in a year despite forecasts of business downturn.
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Communities come together for Local Bike Shop Day 2025 celebrations

13 May 2025

Local Bike Shop Day 2025 brought a wave of... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira welcomes Bank of England's latest interest rate cut

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has welcomed the Bank of England's decision to reduce interest rates from 4.5% to 4.25%, calling it a "much-needed boost" for the retail sector, including for cycling... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira responds to Beales' "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" as iconic store makes final protest

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has responded to the news that the 144-year-old Beales department store is staging a "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" in its final weeks of trading, with giant yellow... Read more…

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Business rates appeals denied amid new £1.5bn relief package

Posted on in Business News, Cycles News, Political News

The government has said it will legislate to "rule out" business rates appeals related to the Covid-19 pandemic, as it unveiled a new £1.5 billion relief package.

Tax and property experts have said the legal change on appeals would be a "catastrophic blow" for many businesses impacted by the commercial property tax.

Retail, hospitality and leisure have benefitted from a rates "holiday", which was announced at the start of the crisis. In England, it will continue until the end of June, with discounts in place until next year. But many supply chain firms and commercial property owners have been ineligible for much of this support. In Wales and Scotland, the business rates holiday was extended for another 12 months.

On Thursday, the Treasury revealed that it was making another £1.5 billion available in business rates relief for companies unable to receive current support.

It said the money would be distributed to sectors which have "suffered most economically" outside the current rates holiday.

It is understood this would particularly benefit commercial property firms and supply chain businesses that are currently ineligible for the support.

The Treasury said many firms unable to receive rates relief have appealed against their business rates bills, arguing that they have been impacted by a "material change of circumstance" due to the pandemic.

However, the government said it would now legislate to "rule out" Covid-19 related appeals and direct these companies towards the £1.5 billion pot.

Robert Hayton, UK president of property tax at the real estate adviser Altus Group, criticised the move.

"This will be a catastrophic blow for businesses who have spent the last year lawfully pursuing business rate adjustments only to have their statutory legal right ripped from them to allow the government to roll out a wholly inadequate scheme which won't deliver enough business rates support and threatens the post-pandemic recovery," he said.

Data from the HMRC's valuation office agency showed that 303,260 properties, including offices, pubs and retailers, lodged appeals in 2020, representing a 321 per cent increase on 2019.

The government said that allowing rates appeals on a "material change in circumstances" could have led to "significant amounts of taxpayer support going to businesses who have been able to operate normally throughout the pandemic" and would disproportionately benefit London.

"Our priority throughout this crisis has been to protect jobs and livelihoods," Chancellor Rishi Sunak said.

"Providing this extra support will get cash to businesses who need it most, quickly and fairly.

"By providing more targeted support than the business rates appeals system, our approach will help protect and support jobs in businesses across the country, providing a further boost as we reopen the economy, emerge from this crisis, and build back better."

 

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