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Small business owners welcome rates change TNT News Luke Shepherd
Tyres slashed amid Hulme parking feud TNT News Yasin Chinembiri At least seven cars of residents living in Hulme have had their car tyres slashed. The vandalism appears to be a revenge attack in an ongoing parking feud. On Wednesday 15 March, residents on Lower Moss Lane and Lordsmead Street woke up to find their car tyres had been slashed. A teary-eyed mother of two, Fatima, spoke to TNT about her distress and anxiety following the vandalism her car has received. “I woke up to my car with slashed tyres. All four tyres were slashed. This happened to six of my
neighbours too”, Fatima told TNT. None of the streets in the area have residential parking allocation. This allows anyone to park on the street without time limitations. Consequently, the residents do not have anywhere to park their cars when the alleged commuters park on their streets. Some of the cars parked are also causing “an obstruction and are affecting pedestrians walking on the pavement”, another resident of the area, Chris Helmerdine, told TNT. Chris and Fatima, have told TNT that they have both written to their Hulme
councillor Nigel Murphy about the issues of parking. They say the response they both received is that the council has insufficient funds to provide residential streetparking permits in the area. Fatima also told us she contacted Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to report the vandalism. GMP logged it as a crime however told her they cannot do anything else without CCTV evidence of the vandal(s). Local residents are now planning a protest in resistance to the anti-social behaviour within the area, the vandalism and for their street car parking concerns.
The residents are concerned this will happen again. Fatima and Chris are asking local authorities for victim support and neighbourhood safety measures to be in place. A GMP spokesperson said: “This incident has nothing to do with a “parking feud” and early enquiries suggest it was carried out by a group of youths. “We are currently monitoring this and working with the council to try and combat antisocial behaviour in the area and find those responsible”.
Small businesses and pubs are set to receive new relief measures when latest budget rates come into effect next month. From 1 April, small businesses will see their Rate Relief (SBRR) double from 50% to 100% and their threshold rise to £15,000. A £3 billion transitional relief fund has been set up by the government to help phase in the changes. Local councils have also been given a fund of £300 million in relief to help those worst affected. Sophie Robson, who recently opened Chorlton bar Henry C, has said “business rates for us aren’t a problem at the moment”. “We’ve been getting a good amount of small business relief, soon to be 100% relief with the 2017 budget”. “However, I’m sure when we get re-evaluated the amount will go up a fair bit and we won’t be eligible for small business relief”. Business rates are generally re-evaluated every 5 years and are based on size, use and location of the property. Whilst Henry C currently fall under the threshold for SBRR, rates are “strangely different for similar properties in the same area” said Sophie. Cath Goss, owner of Starfish Kids on the same road, said that steady increases in tax are “discouraging us from expanding”.