'Remove business rate from parish council running toilets' - Farron
Local MP Tim Farron is lobbying government on behalf of Lakes Parish Council and is calling on the government to remove business rates from parish councils who look after public conveniences. Tim's lobbying comes after Lakes Parish Council met him to discuss their concerns about the current scheme. Currently business rates on the public conveniences in the parish will be £10,500, which is a sixth of their budget. Tim wants the government to agree that parish councils do not have to pay business rates for providing a public service. Tim is now taking up the matter with government ministers. Tim said: "Business rateable value is normally based on the rentable value of a property but a public convenience is not a business! It is a service provided by a community for the public good - taxing them for providing that service is wrong and must end. I'll continue to press and lobby the government to end this unfair tax on parish councils and communities."
