Following the visit to Pinner Wood School, I joined local ward councillors Norman Stevenson, Paul Osborne and Kuha Kumaran to meet with Pinner business owners, kindly hosted by the Queen’s Head.
The meeting was a useful opportunity to discuss concerns relating to both local and national policies, and I was grateful to be able to address some of these from a government perspective. For example, converting office blocks as a way of meeting housing targets runs the risk of driving away regular key contributors to the local economy. I have long been an advocate for greater powers to be awarded to local authorities on planning decisions; they know these areas best and have direct insight into what is needed. I am pleased that movement was made by the Government during the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, which now sits with the Lords.
Something else that is regularly raised by businesses, both with myself and council colleagues, is business rates. By way of an update, the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has recently updated the rateable values for the 2023 tax year and from April, business rate bills in England will be updated to reflect changes in property values since the last re-evaluation in 2017. A package of targeted support worth £13.6 billion over the next 5 years will support businesses as they transition to their new bills, protect businesses from the full impact of inflation, and support our high streets. Furthermore, support for eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses is being extended and increased from 50 per cent to 75 per cent business rates relief up to £110,000 per business in 2023-24.
Concerning broadband, another ongoing issue frequently raised with my office, I asked businesses to reflect on their experiences with individual companies and to get in touch with their feedback. I know that while improvements have been made, challenges remain. As such, the issue continues to be on my radar, following conversations with a number of business owners, and open dialogue with the Chief of Executive of Openreach.
Lastly, lots of interesting ideas for improvements to both Bridge Street and the High Street were raised and were taken onboard by council colleagues. I know that, at a local level, a lot of work has already gone in to support businesses, including the fantastic ‘Visit Pinner’ initiative led by Cllr Norman Stevenson, and that efforts will continue where possible. I will, of course, be pleased to offer my support where I can.
I am grateful to Sean and the team at the Queen’s Head for hosting and to all the business owners for their time.
