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Landlords back retailers' plea to save high streets

The BPF has today backed calls from the British Retail Consortium for swift government action to save the high street, including a halt to planned business rate rises, a cut in empty property tax and measures to improve landlord and tenant relations.

Andrew Teacher, spokesman for the British Property Federation, said:

“We’re seeing first-hand how a lack of consumer confidence is killing off retailers and ministers must do everything to avoid a generation of ‘ghost towns’. While we can’t support shops with out-of-date business models, we must avoid undermining the recovery with short- sighted tax hits. Plugging budgetary holes by ramping up business rates will only cause the roof to cave in on a vital part of our economy. From construction workers to cashiers, retail employs thousands of people and the government should take a long hard look at the damage it has done through empty property taxes and look again at hiking up business rates.”

Rupert Clarke, chief executive of Hermes who took over as BPF president last week, said:

“Landlords are coming under increasing pressure to make concessions and it is our responsibility to be flexible and to support our customers as they struggle to save their businesses. It is clear that a large proportion of the BPF are committed to taking a responsible approach to challenges facing occupiers. However, many property owners are facing similar or even greater financial challenges which should be recognised when establishing an appropriate balance between the parties.

“Building stronger relationships with the occupier community is a priority, continuing the work started by my predecessors through the Owners and Occupiers Forum and carried forward in the work earlier this year on monthly rents and service charges.”

For more information and all PR and media queries, please contact Andrew Teacher, Head of Media, on 020 7802 0113/ 07968 124545/ ateacher@bpf.org.uk

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