Beth Doherty
Business Improvement Districts across the South have joined forces with over 150,000 UK businesses to forewarn the collapse of the high street in a new campaign.
Today, Salisbury BID has announced that it is backing the #BusinessSOS campaign which warns that the effects of the spiralling energy crisis are superseding the pandemic. If allowed to continue, the campaign says this has the potential to cause irreversible damage to UK high streets and the economy.
Founded by organisations representing over 150,000 retail, leisure, hospitality and tourism businesses, the campaign and Salisbury BID, are calling on the Government to deliver support to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses so they have every chance to survive following the rise in energy costs.
The #BusinessSOS campaign believes mass closures and redundancies are inevitable if Government does not swiftly implement measures that alleviate the critical pressures that businesses, like households, have been facing since April 2022.
Salisbury BID says our local business communities need:
- “A reduction in VAT headline rate from 20% to 12.5% and business energy bills from 20% to 5%
- 100% business rate relief until 31st March 2023
- Energy rate relief on all business energy bills”
“They need action and they need it now.”
The #BusinessSOS campaign suggests a three-point-plan to support ailing businesses:
- Reduce VAT
- Headline rate reduced from 20% to 12.5%
- Business energy bills reduced from 20% to 5% to match domestic billing
- Business Rates Relief
- 100% rate relief until 31st March 2023
- Energy Rate Relief
- A discounted kwh price on all business energy bills
Robin McGowan, Salisbury BID CEO commented, “Due to the current financial climate many Salisbury businesses are being forced to make the difficult decision over their business viability moving forwards.
“It is not scaremongering to say that this crisis could be worse for businesses than the pandemic and without comprehensive support they may not survive. To avoid mass closures and redundancies we are calling on the government to act immediately to reduce VAT, give business rate and energy rate relief.”
Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality, said, “The hospitality sector is crucial to delivering the business-led growth the new Government is striving for, but we are facing an existential crisis due to soaring energy bills.
“We’re encouraged by the new Prime Minister’s commitment to tackling energy prices, but we need to see urgent, comprehensive action. As well as a price freeze, we need to see a cut to VAT and a business rates holiday if businesses in the sector are to have any hope of making it through the winter.”
Bill Addy CEO of Liverpool BID and Chair of The BID Foundation commented, “Businesses recognise that they benefited from the immediate support given them during the pandemic but we are in danger of all that support being thrown away as those same businesses that have worked valiantly to recover will be decimated by the cost of living crisis.
“Business is now at a watershed moment that needs an urgent response from our new Prime Minister, they need hope and certainty if they are to survive. It is business that will ensure that UK can grew the economy out of the coming recession but do that business needs to survive and that requires urgent action.”
More information will be shared with businesses regarding the #BusinessSOS campaign as it develops. Keep up to date with Salisbury BID here.
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Andy Munns
