Call for rate relief as rural businesses struggle through the cost of living crisis

Mr Honeyford has called for an independent review of non-domestic rate relief to help Northern Ireland’s hard-pressed hospitality industry.

The review would include Small Business Rate Relief and the consideration of a rural rate relief scheme to help Northern Ireland’s hard-pressed hospitality industry.

Speaking during an Assembly debate, Mr Honeyford explained: “We are the only UK region that does not have a rural rate relief scheme that would suit the rural community and their retail business or village pub.”

He added that Northern Ireland’s hospitality industry is dominated by small, family-owned businesses, unlike the rest of the UK, where national chains predominate.

“In England, rates relief has been applied at 75% for three years in a row for all hospitality, retail and leisure businesses and that has not been replicated here,” he continued.

“To grow our economy we need to understand how any relief could be targeted at sectors that need support the most.”

Mr Honeyford said he had raised the closure of Clenaghans and the Owl and the Pussycat a number of times at Stormont, and had held meetings with industry leaders to discuss a way forward in addressing their problems.

“It simply can’t be right that local businesses in our cities, towns and villages carry a higher burden of percentage tax than those in other areas,” he concluded.