Rates are ‘crippling Kendal's pubs’ (From The Westmorland Gazette)
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Rates are ‘crippling Kendal's pubs’
8:10am Friday 3rd December 2010 in News
GRAHAM VINCENT
THREE pub landlords have hit out at the ‘excessive’ business rates they are paying, claiming they are unfair and punish success.
The Kendal licensees say the charges, which total more than £40,000 between the three pubs, are crippling on top of the fall-out from the smoking ban, rising alcohol taxes and changing drinking habits.
Helen Chorley, of The White Hart on Highgate, said: “The council’s rates are just extortionate and need to be looked at given the current conditions we have to trade in.
“Everything has gone through the roof making it nearly impossible to trade.
"In the next 12 months, there’s a good chance we’ll see a lot more pubs go.”
Paul and Linda Metcalfe, who run The Dun Horse, on Stramongate, said: “The more you make and the higher your turnover, the more your rates go up.
"We’ve tried to make this into a decent pub and we’ve become a victim of our own success.”
Leanne Alderson, landlady of The Fleece Inn, on Highgate said: “The rates are far too much for such a small town.
“The authorities need to look at what they charge but breweries need to look at their rents and be reasonable too.”
A South Lakeland District Council spokesperson said the Government set business rates.
Coun Graham Vincent, SLDC economic chief, said: “We collect the rates but we do not administer them.
"Commercial premises still think it’s our fault. The council seem to get the blame for everything.
"We don’t even value premises – we have no influence.”
Comments(2)
wezzyk
says...
7:17pm Wed 8 Dec 10
I have been in lots of pubs across the UK and those who are surviving and thriving are those who are free from ridiculous leasehold agreements where they can confidently plough their profits back into their business and not be in fear of what's round the next corner. In my experience the business rates system is a not an evil, but it is a known and controllable system that supports local services. Unlike the unseen, unscrupulous persons taking a good portion of your hard earned takings who dictate to and manipulate your business. Many pubs across Cumbria are in the same position; afraid to invest back into the fabric of the business. A pub should be owned and run by the landlord / lady permanently on site behind the bar working with pride in his / her establishment. Pubs need to be welcoming, homely, pleasant buildings that recieve the care and attention it needs. And if this was the case many more landlords / ladies would be proud to pay the local business rates which get fed back into the local community to maintain and enhance the local area that brings visitors into town and ultimately into their pubs.
soapy stevens says...
10:37am Mon 6 Dec 10
The particular problem with pubs are the business models run by the pub co,s that strangle the returns on running a pub and i have little compassion for the mugs that enter into these leasehold agreements , try renegotiating them instead of moaning about business rates and as an aside the general state of the kendal pub is very poor with poor products . Why people prefer to stay at home or go elsewhere ? look at the standard and facilities of the average home and compare to the surroundings in a town centre pub and its no surprise that the trade is dying and it will not improve until these pubs are freehold and standards improve dramatically . The council can not be held liable for failing standards of a third parties business.