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2 Jul 2025

MPs have called on Amazon and eBay to tighten controls after e-bikes and chargers flagged as serious fire risks were found for sale on their platforms.

25 Jun 2025

The E-Bike Positive campaign has seen major success in the first half of 2025, with its message reaching nearly 8 million people across the UK through high-profile media coverage and growing...

20 Jun 2025

The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee has asked the ACT, and its parent company Bira, to help them reach out to small business retailers across the country, for their quick input on...

20 Jun 2025

Activate Cycle Academy has reopened its Cytech training facility in Darlington, offering a full range of courses from Home Mechanic up to Cytech Technical Three.
 

18 Jun 2025

The Association of Cycle Traders believes the time has come for greater accountability throughout our supply chain, writes ACT Director Jonathan Harrison in an article published for BikeBiz.

16 Jun 2025

The ACT has welcomed the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking's report "Unregulated and Unsafe: The Threat of Illegal E-Bikes", which calls for urgent Government action to...

11 Jun 2025

A new academic study has found that overzealous pro-cycling campaigners on social media may be inadvertently damaging the case for better cycling infrastructure across the UK.

11 Jun 2025

Bira has welcomed the Welsh Government's consultation on business rate reforms for retail shops, whilst calling for significant improvements to ensure the proposals truly support high street...

10 Jun 2025

Bike thefts across England and Wales have continued their steady decline, according to new data released by cycle insurance specialist Bikmo.

9 Jun 2025

Retailers on Britain's high streets are being encouraged to put themselves forward for the first-ever Love Your High Street Awards, designed to celebrate the small businesses that bring...

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Business rates appeals denied amid new £1.5bn relief package

Posted on in Business News , Cycles News , Political News

The government has said it will legislate to "rule out" business rates appeals related to the Covid-19 pandemic, as it unveiled a new £1.5 billion relief package.

Tax and property experts have said the legal change on appeals would be a "catastrophic blow" for many businesses impacted by the commercial property tax.

Retail, hospitality and leisure have benefitted from a rates "holiday", which was announced at the start of the crisis. In England, it will continue until the end of June, with discounts in place until next year. But many supply chain firms and commercial property owners have been ineligible for much of this support. In Wales and Scotland, the business rates holiday was extended for another 12 months.

On Thursday, the Treasury revealed that it was making another £1.5 billion available in business rates relief for companies unable to receive current support.

It said the money would be distributed to sectors which have "suffered most economically" outside the current rates holiday.

It is understood this would particularly benefit commercial property firms and supply chain businesses that are currently ineligible for the support.

The Treasury said many firms unable to receive rates relief have appealed against their business rates bills, arguing that they have been impacted by a "material change of circumstance" due to the pandemic.

However, the government said it would now legislate to "rule out" Covid-19 related appeals and direct these companies towards the £1.5 billion pot.

Robert Hayton, UK president of property tax at the real estate adviser Altus Group, criticised the move.

"This will be a catastrophic blow for businesses who have spent the last year lawfully pursuing business rate adjustments only to have their statutory legal right ripped from them to allow the government to roll out a wholly inadequate scheme which won't deliver enough business rates support and threatens the post-pandemic recovery," he said.

Data from the HMRC's valuation office agency showed that 303,260 properties, including offices, pubs and retailers, lodged appeals in 2020, representing a 321 per cent increase on 2019.

The government said that allowing rates appeals on a "material change in circumstances" could have led to "significant amounts of taxpayer support going to businesses who have been able to operate normally throughout the pandemic" and would disproportionately benefit London.

"Our priority throughout this crisis has been to protect jobs and livelihoods," Chancellor Rishi Sunak said.

"Providing this extra support will get cash to businesses who need it most, quickly and fairly.

"By providing more targeted support than the business rates appeals system, our approach will help protect and support jobs in businesses across the country, providing a further boost as we reopen the economy, emerge from this crisis, and build back better."

 

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