Northern Ireland stores getting the short straw, says retail body

By David Harris in Industry News 3rd February 2023

Northern Ireland’s retail trade organisation has said that small stores are begin unfairly treated compared with their English counterparts after Belfast City Council voted to increase business rates by nearly 8%.

Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts has urged other Northern Ireland councils not to follow suit.

He said: “It is regrettable that Belfast City Council voted through a rate increase of nearly 8%. In England, small businesses are getting a 75% reduction in their rates to assist with the cost-of-doing-business crisis.

“Despite the UK government giving Northern Ireland this funding as part of the Barnett Consequential, our local small businesses are unlikely to get a single penny of reduction in their rates bills with the money going instead into the Stormont black hole.”

Retail NI has written to all eleven council chief executives in Northern Ireland and contacted Northern Ireland ministers directly, urging them not to hike regional and local business rates excessively.

Roberts added: “Energy bill increases, labour shortages, business rate hikes, inflation, and falling consumer confidence are all risking the business climate of Northern Ireland.

“Fears that many will simply go under in the next months without government assistance are keenly felt with this perfect storm of high business costs.”