In This Issue
Caulders buys Loch Lomond Homes & Gardens
Great start to the New Year, reports GTN Bestsellers
Hayes Garden World announce sad passing of Elizabeth Hayes
£1.5million investment in Kelkay's expansion
Planners approve major project at Hillier's Newbury site
Strong pre-season orders for Neudorff says distributor DLF
Perrywood hands over £21k to its charities of the year
‘Orse racin’ returns to GCA conference in aid of Greenfingers
Brimsmore Gardens helps The Hub ‘green up’ for RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood scheme
Survey highlights ‘lonely’ UK as RHS announces garden to encourage nation to make friends through plants at RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Drive to Monte Carlo in an old banger to FUNdraise for Greenfingers
Inspiration for garden centres at IPM Essen
Squire's rewards staff who made a difference
Tulips in Amsterdam...200,000 of them.
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Former Wyevale operations director joins digital commerce firm
Make hay while the sun shines
New Year plant sales are supercharged
Early birds get 28% increase
Change at the top for Wild Bird Care
Johnsons demonstrates green credentials with new compostable plant labels
HTA urges Scottish MPs to vote against scrapping Uniform Business Rates
The best of last week's
Dobbies Christmas trading up by 44%
Bird food company fined £50k over accident that led to finger amputations
Best year on record for garden centre volume sales
New name for Bord na Mona retail in UK
Garden Centre Photo Tours
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
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HTA urges Scottish MPs to vote against scrapping Uniform Business Rates

The HTA believes a proposal to scrap the Uniform Business Rate in Scotland would be damaging to member businesses, creating an unnecessary burden and potential increased costs.

 

The Association is urging MSPs to vote against the move in the Scottish Parliament later this month.

 

In November 2019 Holyrood’s Local Government and Communities Committee backed a Green Party Amendment to the Non-Domestic Rates (Scotland) Bill, at Stage 2, which ends the uniform business rate and instead hands over this £2.8 billion tax to the 32 local authorities enabling, them to set their own poundage rate, rates relief and any local rates supplements.

 

In a letter to both Derek Mackay MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work, and Jackson Carlaw MSP, acting leader of the Scottish Conservatives, the HTA raises concerns, urging them to vote against the amendments.

 

After employee costs, taxes such as property rates are the next biggest expenditure for many HTA member businesses in Scotland. Thye association says that, whilst Uniform Business Rates are not perfect, they do provide businesses with consistency and predictability and allow those with multiple sites across different authorities in Scotland and across the whole of the UK to plan a financial year.

 

HTA chairman James Barnes said members wanted a fair and reasonable tax system that values and promotes business competitiveness and minimises complexity in Scotland. “Business rates have increased substantially over the last 10 years with significant disparities – garden centres in Scotland are paying a significantly higher rate per square foot, than those in England. We see no need for these further unpredictable and potentially higher tax-raising changes.”

 

The HTA is also asking its Scottish members to write to their local MSPs urgently, encouraging them to vote against the changes.

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