COUNCIL leaders have refused to waive business rates for two companies with empty buildings in Ellesmere Port.
Councillors on the resources committee said they feared setting a precedent if they reduced or remitted the firms’ liability for paying these rates.
In April, new laws altered the amount of business rates to be paid on unoccupied workplaces. Where some had been exempt and others paid 50% rates, now the firms are all charged 100% rates.
The Government says its intention here is to bring empty businesses in town centres and industrial estates back into active use.
The council received applications from Evans Easyspace and CityHeart Stretton (EP) Ltd to waive the rates.
Evans Easyspace completed a development of 42 units at Evans Business Park, North Road, on September 1, 2007. It consists of 23 offices and 19 warehouse units, but only 11 of them are occupied.
Their unoccupied rates liability for 2008/09 is £59,636.90, the committee heard.
Evans has told the council this was having a “detrimental effect” on their development.
In 2006, CityHeart bought a factory at 22-24 Telford Road – which has been unoccupied since – and another at 1-9 Burnell Road, which has now been split with No 1 being let and Nos 3-9 empty.
Its total rates for 2008/09 are £31,624.85, the committee heard.
The company said it had “actively marketed” the units with “little success”.
Committee chairman Cllr Joe O’Rourke (Lab, Sutton) said: “We don’t want to set a precedent. We could get a flood of such applications.”
Cllr Brenda Dowding (Con, Parkgate) said: “This authority does support local businesses but the money has to come from somewhere.
“People in our communities have got their own bills. These (applications) are not in the best interests of the local population.”
The committee formally decided not to agree to the two applications.
