Business rate cut gets a symphony of support from music venues

The Government says that cutting business rates for music venues, clubs and pubs by 20 per cent from next April will boost that part of the beleaguered hospitality sector.

New Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the move will apply to nearly 32,000 hospitality businesses and is expected to save a typical pub around £1,100 annually.

But the discount will not apply to the very largest live music venues.

The £100 million annual cost will be covered by reviewing reliefs on businesses that “do not make a positive contribution to local communities”, such as vape shops.

Mark McGrail, who owns the Empire venue in Rotherham, praised the Prime Minister for making the move so quickly.

He told the Advertiser: “Good on him. I’m glad he has stuck his neck out about this.

“To tell you the truth, I think Andy Burnham is a breath of fresh air.

“I am excited about what he said.

“But April is too long to wait, we want the help today.

“Most venues cannot survive.

“Rotherham is very very short of quality music venues.”

Mr McGrail said he hoped the “positive attitude” of the Prime Minister would trickle down to encourage councillors to be more helpful towards music venues than he says they have been in the past.

He added: “It’s good to have a positive attitude to deliver and the positive attitude from Andy Burnham is to work through it. It’s the first time I have seen a politician from anywhere say ‘make it happen’.”

Mick Warburton, director of Chantry Brewery in Rotherham, also welcomed the news on business rates which he said would support his music-providing venues.

He said: “We’re really pleased to see this announcement.

“Any support for pubs is welcome and it will certainly help across our venues, the New York Tavern, Cutlers Arms, Chantry Inn and the Brewery Tap.

“With both the New York Tavern and Cutlers Arms in Rotherham town centre, anything that helps keep pubs thriving is also good news for the town itself.

“Busy, successful pubs bring people into the town centre, support other local businesses and help create a vibrant atmosphere, especially in the evenings.

“It’s no secret that the hospitality industry has had a challenging few years, with costs continuing to rise, so anything that eases some of that pressure is a positive.

“It means we can keep focusing on looking after our customers, supporting our staff and continuing to invest in our pubs.

“Our pubs are at the heart of their communities.

“They’re places where people meet friends, enjoy live music, celebrate special occasions or simply pop in for a chat.

“It’s good to see that recognised, and we hope this is another step towards giving community pubs the long-term support they need.”

Steve Gascoigne, who organises gigs and events for the Chantry Brewery venues, said: “Personally I think anything that helps the music business has got to be a positive move.”