Landlords cannot take all the blame for shop closures (From Knutsford Guardian)

Landlords cannot take all the blame for shop closures

4:00pm Tuesday 14th August 2012 in Letters

YET another shop closure in Knutsford due to rent and business rate increases. Many landlords still try to increase rental prices, and have still not learned a lesson that retail is heavily pressured by the present economic conditions.

It has to be said that due to the present business rates system, introduced without deep thought by a previous government, landlords can hardly take all the blame, as they become liable for empty property rates if a business folds. Dog eat dog!

I had a retail business in Altrincham that I closed in April 2011.

I still pay rent and rates on the property, and will do so until August 2013 when my lease expires.

I have recently changed my rating as I can claim three-month exemption, for this year only.

Unfortunately, I have lost my small business relief. In other words, I am slightly better off by some £200 for the year! Whoopee!

I feel successive governments, local and national, are detached and totally out of touch with many of the consequences of their actions.

Given the very high salaries paid to the elite in our local councils, they are in a marvellous position to lobby national government to change the system entirely, and receive a greater amount back from government than the 44 per cent they eternally moan about to us. Perhaps it’s down to not rocking the political boat, or perhaps it’s down to why should I bother, I’m getting my money.

I battled in Altrincham for well over 15 years to find common sense in the local government there. They employed town centre managers, parking managers, area managers etc at a lot more cost to the ratepayer! The result of all that is the state of Altrincham today. Don’t let the same happen to Knutsford.

MICHAEL PLANT Ashworth Park, Knutsford