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Frustrated Independent Trader Told No Reduction In Business Rates Available Over Tunsgate Revamp Delays
Published on: 4 Jun, 2018
Updated on: 4 Jun, 2018
Well known and popular independent Guildford trader Ben Darnton continues to be frustrated by the length of time work has been going on for the revamped Tunsgate Quarter shopping centre and the relaying of the road and pavements in Tunsgate.
Ben Darnton says business at his collectors’ record shop has been hit hard due to the continuing works in and around Tunsgate.
He has traded with his collectors’ record shop in Tunsgate for more than 25 years. His says his trade (along with others in Tunsgate) has been hit hard during the work. But despite pleas to have a reduction on his business rates has been told there is nothing that can be done.
He said: “The long suffering shops in Tunsgate cannot wait until the works are eventually finished in late June, just in time for a procession to pass up the street on Saturday June 30, as the works were originally scheduled to last for approximately 22 weeks according to a leaflet distributed to local businesses last July.
“The Valuations Agency who set business rates will not budge from the meagre 10% discount they offered last year, ironically before central Government actually increased business rates nationally, so there’s been little saving for Tunsgate shops while they have witnessed 100 yards of their road take 10 months to replace so far.
“I have spoken to Guildford Borough Council (who keep 10% of the amount collected), Guildford MP Anne Milton and Experience Guildford about this. Although they have asked the Valuations Agency to help on our behalf, they say there is nothing further to be done to help.
“Tunsgate will no doubt be an attractive area when it is eventually finished, but business will have to sky rocket to make up for the hardship endured by shops who have struggled to receive deliveries and customers while the works have ground slowly on and many blue badge holders have stayed away since the road was closed to traffic last July.
“On a more national scale, I strongly feel that central Government need to act fast to help independent shops in towns up and down the country by giving business rates relief to make the playing field more level before more shops close down for good; as independent shops are an essential part of the retail fabric in town centres.
“Annually rising parking charges in towns and the rise in popularity of online shopping and free to park out of town supermarkets have all conspired to make life harder on the high street so we need all the help we can get.”
Ben’s popular Facebook group page, Guildford Past & Present, regularly has readers posting comments supporting him through his recent hard times.
Some recent comments include: “I think they must be shaping the new cobbles [sic] by hand. I’ve seen some time-wasting jobs in my time (I’m a bricklayer) but this must be the most expensive road in the country!”
“Ben, you put up with a terrible amount of disruption and deserve some reimbursement for loss of trade. After all, you are a legend in my eyes.”
“Somebody somewhere must have some influence to help Ben Darnton and all the other traders in Tunsgate. If they all go bust a lot of empty shops opposite the new Tunsgate shops insn’t going to look pretty.”
“I’m all out of comments, it’s an absolute disgrace.”
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Responses to Frustrated Independent Trader Told No Reduction In Business Rates Available Over Tunsgate Revamp Delays
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Martin Elliott
June 4, 2018 at 10:09 pm
Yet, more than £100,000 intended to help Guildford companies struggling with business rates has still not been spent.
If it’s not allocated by September, the Treasury will keep it!
This money was given directly to councils and can be spent at their discretion.
Well that’s what Get Surrey cut and pasted from Retail Express.
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/100k-meant-guildford-businesses-struggling-14677182
Bernard Parke
June 5, 2018 at 7:24 am
One must ask why this long drawn out and extremely expensive project was ever started?
Not only has it caused considerable distress, but it provided a valuable motor vehicle access to the Guildhall during the day when the High Street is closed to traffic.
Guy Sutlieff
June 5, 2018 at 8:58 am
My sympathies for Ben, this project has just taken an unbelievable amount of time.
Whilst it will doubtless look attractive, I assume the banning of short-term parking and cars in general will just put another small nail in Guildford’s retail coffin.
Talking of slow building and car parks, may I congratulate the people responsible for the construction of the new flats and multi-story on the Guildford Park Road car park. I’m sure there must be an award for spending 18 months and achieving so far:
The demotion of some garages.
The removal of about 100 car park spaces
The erection of some steel fence.
Placing of six portable buildings.
Digging a trench.
Laying of 100 yards of the worst tarmacked footpath in history.
]Completion date of the project is I assume about 2045 at this rate.
John Powell
June 5, 2018 at 11:16 am
That is an absolutely outrageous decision. There is no question that the restrictions for pedestrians plus the noise and clouds of dust are reasons why potential shoppers avoid the area surrounding Tunsgate.
How can people like me help an independent trader? Ideas please.
Brian Holt
June 5, 2018 at 10:46 pm
Treating small traders like this is not going to encourage more new traders into Guildford.
Most people in Guildford today who I have spoken to at the Farmers’ Market are not impress with the Tunsgate revamp.
Most said they thought it was a waste of money and what shops and businesses that are already open are expensive.
One person said that one shop was charging over £3 for cup of tea.
Guildford Borough Council should do a survey outside Tunsgate in the High Street, asking people what they think of the Tunsgate revamp and they will find out that most people will say it’s future is doomed already.
Today there is another shoe shop closing at the top of Market Street, another one to the list of shops closing down in the town.
Jan Messinger
June 6, 2018 at 7:48 am
Ben does so much to promote Guildford through his Facebook group page with 19,000 followers who have or are having happy memories of our historic town.
Would be devestating to lose his independent business from the town.
He keeps so many informed of all the good about Guildford. What an asset in itself.
Sue Warner
June 6, 2018 at 2:12 pm
I agree that the businesses in Tunsgate should have a bigger rebate, they have suffered for a very long time over this redevelopment and its delays through no fault of their own. It’s disgusting that they should be out of pocket in this way.
Julian Lyon
June 9, 2018 at 11:55 am
This seems to be an outrage. S44 relief in Business Rates and Material Changes of Circumstance are there to provide dispensation and relief for businesses when works or extraneous events affect the ability to trade.
Business rates are meant to represent a government-set fraction of the rental value of the property (as at 1st April 2015 under the current list).
The council then adds a 2p levy for a BID (Business Improvement District) which it could decide to waive when the short term impact of carrying out improvements is to harm nearby businesses.
When there is a material change of circumstance the effect should be to assess what a business would have paid (or been able to afford to pay) given restricted access, less passing footfall, noise, dirt and difficulties with deliveries and other logistical challenges.
Is this a signal of how Guildford Borough Council has decided to treat businesses in the area now that it retains all of the business rates income, or is this an erroneous response from the Government’s Valuation Office Agency?
I would be happy to ask my colleagues to take a look if Ben wants to contact me at Chair@guildfordsociety.org.uk
Mary Bedforth
June 14, 2018 at 1:05 pm
I believe Guildford Borough Council’s treatment of the traders in Tunsgate has been disgraceful.
Not forgetting the loss of revenue to the car parks department.
The contractors ‘laying’ the setts have occupied a whole row of spaces in the Bright Hill car park for storage of the materials and a work cabin.
Have they paid GBC for this long-term use?
Skanska were recently replacing the illuminated sign on the traffic island at the bottom of South Hill. This was knocked for six when the roof members for the ‘white elephant’ were being delivered.
Also, an illuminated bollard in Sydenham Road was destroyed at the same time. That has also been replaced. Who pays? We do of course, the idiot council tax payers. The developers? Not.
On a Sunday in May 2017, an attempt was made to deliver the five roof members for the development (72ft long on a low loader plus the artic) via Pilgrims Way.
The load got stuck on the first hairpin bend and had to reverse back to the main road. The police had apparently OK’ed the route. Surrey County Council had allowed a dispensation of the 7.5-tonne weight limit.