LETTER : Unfair tax benefits help superstores kill market towns
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.IT IS no surprise that out-of-town supermarkets are killing off town centres ("Tories admit: `We killed market towns' ", 19 February). They enjoy obvious tax advantages over town centre shops. Even a corner shop pays more rates per ground area or per turnover than those warehouse monstrosities.
Yet, two simple changes to the Uniform Business Rate would balance things up between the supermarkets, town centre shops and the corner store:
1) Assess rates on the undeveloped rental values of all sites.
2) Make the rates payable whether the site is in use or not.
The first would take into account the vast areas taken up by car parks and return to the community some of the advantage of the more central sites. The second would encourage the immediate use of premises held out for higher rents and book values.
We might add a further change:
3) If the actions on one site causes the reduction of values on another, this difference should be paid by the former.
Without invoking planning law and compensation this would check bad development everywhere, and, if one thinks about it, also lead to a reduction in pollution and waste.
Alex Godden
Oxford
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments