Over the last few years pubs have taken a real battering. The last Government continually forced up rates and increased the burden of rates on all local businesses. The average business rates bill in England rose from £6,796 a year in 1997-98 to £12,145 in 2009-10. In real terms, this was a rise from £9,196 to £12,145 a year. Local pubs have also faced increasingly high alcohol taxation. All this has led to a worrying trend of pub closures across Cheshire.
Graham said "When out and about across my constituency, the sight of boarded up pubs has become all too familiar. Over the past few years, pubs have been hit hard by continuously forcing up business rates, adding pages and pages of new regulations and red tape, and hiking alcohol taxation. There have been reports that across the UK, more than seven pubs are closing every day of the week. We must do all we can to stop this trend and protect the great British pub, which is such a vital part of our communities and culture."
The new Government has already confirmed that it will deliver on its promise to make small business rate relief automatic, which should provided some help for many small businesses in Cheshire, not just pubs.
Graham Evans said "This is an important first step towards helping protect our pubs. I believe that we should go further and shift the burden of alcohol taxation to target drinks specifically associated with binge drinking, rather than punishing responsible drinkers."