Steve Double, Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay, has praised the Government for paving the way for operators of public toilets to be exempted from paying business rates.
Commenting, Steve said:
“Soon after the election last year myself and the other Cornish MPs met with the Prime Minister in St Austell and raised a number of local issues with him. Chief among these was how unfair we felt it was that operators of public toilets were made to pay business rates. At a time when Cornwall Council was forcibly palming off public toilets to town and parish councils, this was an area where I thought we could introduce positive change to make their running cheaper.”
“The Government subsequently announced a business rates review. I encouraged town and parish councils throughout Mid-Cornwall, many of whom I know have struggled financially to successfully take over and run these vital services in their communities, to write, in calling for change. In the recent Budget one of the things announced was that the Government will allow local authorities, such as Cornwall Council, 100% retention of business rates by 2020. Included in this was that from 1 April 2018, local authorities will be able to ‘use discretionary relief powers to support public toilets’.”
“This is good news and could lead to 100% business rates relief being granted. The decision on whether to grant relief will rest with the local authority. If Cornwall Council did take the decision to make toilets exempt then it would be a blanket decision and not decided on a case by case basis. I am now asking our local communities to again demonstrate the strength of feeling here and write to Cornwall Council, ahead of 2018. I am asking residents to call on Cornwall Council to make public toilet operators exempt from business rates.”
“I hope that Cornwall Council will listen, and when the time comes, make the right and sensible decision that will benefit residents and visitors alike in helping making it easier to keep our toilets open.”