Submission Documents: By Councillor Thomas Kerr:- "Council recognises warnings from the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) that SNP policy is costing Scottish shops an extra £14 million per year and that such a tax burden is negatively impacting upon the ability of the industry to adapt to a changing retail environment. Council further notes calls from the SRC to restore a level playing field in taxation and regulation between Scotland and England in order to boost business confidence and investment. Council expresses its regret at the release of figures earlier this year which show that two stores were forced to close every week throughout 2018 and that the city centre suffered a 59% reduction in the take-up of office space during the first quarter of 2019 compared to the same period last year. Council therefore expresses its support for the 'Save our High Streets' campaign, launched by Dean Lockhart MSP, which calls on the Scottish Government to:- Cut business rates including the large business supplement; Permanently change business poundage increases to CPI; Support BIDs across Scotland; Free up planning restrictions in town centres; and Increase the use of public procurement to support the local economy. Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work outlining this Council's support for the 'Save Our High Streets' campaign and requesting that he enact the measures outlined above as soon as possible." Help Icon

This is the list of documents available for the submission By Councillor Thomas Kerr:- "Council recognises warnings from the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) that SNP policy is costing Scottish shops an extra £14 million per year and that such a tax burden is negatively impacting upon the ability of the industry to adapt to a changing retail environment. Council further notes calls from the SRC to restore a level playing field in taxation and regulation between Scotland and England in order to boost business confidence and investment. Council expresses its regret at the release of figures earlier this year which show that two stores were forced to close every week throughout 2018 and that the city centre suffered a 59% reduction in the take-up of office space during the first quarter of 2019 compared to the same period last year. Council therefore expresses its support for the 'Save our High Streets' campaign, launched by Dean Lockhart MSP, which calls on the Scottish Government to:- Cut business rates including the large business supplement; Permanently change business poundage increases to CPI; Support BIDs across Scotland; Free up planning restrictions in town centres; and Increase the use of public procurement to support the local economy. Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work outlining this Council's support for the 'Save Our High Streets' campaign and requesting that he enact the measures outlined above as soon as possible." .

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Name Type of Document Access View Document
Item Minute - 12 September 2019 Minute Public Open Document in PDF Format
(292 KB)

 

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