Campaign Objectives
The aim of the coalition is simple. We are calling on the government to give back the relief. As the recession deepens, it is even more important for the goverment to prevent further damage being caused by the change to empty rates relief.
In the Pre-Budget Report an empty rates 'holiday' from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 was announced for properties with a rateable value of less than £15,000. This exemption only helps 13% of the total value of business rate payers, despite the Government claiming it would cover 70% of properties. But this figure included assets which would not be regarded by most individuals or businesses as properties, for instance assets such as ATMs, public toilets, beach huts and car park spaces.
