Business Rates on Empty property

LeicesterWorker

lincroft1710 said:

LeicesterWorker said:

Write to your MP and local news and hope for the best.

As the council are acting within the law and could be criticised by their auditors for not collecting money which they should collect, local MP and press are unlikely to persuade the council to waive the charge 

Just to highlight to them how FP has no support net available when not allowed to work.
MPs should be advising the national government on how people fall through the net with little or no support available.
Then if the government change or create new schemes, they can consider the injustices they created.

lincroft1710

LeicesterWorker said:

lincroft1710 said:

LeicesterWorker said:

Write to your MP and local news and hope for the best.

As the council are acting within the law and could be criticised by their auditors for not collecting money which they should collect, local MP and press are unlikely to persuade the council to waive the charge 

Just to highlight to them how FP has no support net available when not allowed to work.
MPs should be advising the national government on how people fall through the net with little or no support available.
Then if the government change or create new schemes, they can consider the injustices they created.

 The government is well aware that people will slip through the net, it stated so some months ago. MPs are not elected to advise the government, they are elected to represent their constituents.

fdp786

update - thanks for all of your responses guys. To the person that asked if I had factored rates into the business plan - I was aware of them but I thought because the business had a rateable value of less than £51K that I would not be paying rates - which is true for 20/21 - only when you're trading. I had no idea that while the property was empty you would be charged. Naive I know. 

I came across a really helpful person helping me with a grant for the shop frontage who contacted the head of rates and he said they would send me a "hardship form" - does anyone know what this involves any handy hints when filling it in? A quick look on the internet shows that apparently councils have received grants for people in hardship and it is at their discretion to dish out. 

Galloglass

does anyone know what this involves any handy hints when filling it in? 

Contact your local councillor and seek their advice. Though they cannot influence the council staff, they can give you an idea of the sorts of business the council wish to help. For example in our area, it is tourism.