Ribble Valley Small Businesses Need Rate Relief Now

Ribble Valley Conservative Councillors from Clitheroe and Longridge this week have urged small businesses to apply for rate relief to which they are entitled.

Councillor Farnsworth, Clitheroe Salt Hill,stated ‘The Local Government Association has estimated that less than half of the 870,000 firms eligible for the rebate in England, have claimed the money. In the recession small businesses need help to survive and preserve much needed jobs. 18% of the workforce of the Ribble Valley are self employed , the highest per head any local authority in Lancashire.’

Ken Hind Conservative Chairman commented ‘All Ribble Valley Conservative Councillors will take up with the Council officials any cases of businesses where there is a problem. We have to develop new strategies to help our community in the recession and help to save jobs and businesses. Moves to end the bureaucratic paper chase for business have to be considered.

‘Caroline Spellman, the Shadow Communities & Local Government Secretary has pledged to cut taxes and paperwork for small shops and small firms to help them survive the recession, and promised a future Conservative Government would ensure small business rate relief will be applied automatically to small firms, rather than businesses having to claim it themselves, giving many of them a fighting chance to stay afloat .”

The Conservative MP, Peter Luff, has put forward a Private Members' Bill to get rate relief applied automatically for small firms which is supported by Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans .