Trader calls on rates hike to be reversed

Apr 30 2009 by Gary Fanning, Hamilton Advertiser

A WELL-KNOWN trader this week hit out over a five per cent hike in shop rates for small businesses in Hamilton.

Angry Giuliano Marcantonio, the owner of the Capoocci Man restaurant in Hamilton’s Regent Centre, has been forced to lay off three staff members because of the economic recession.

And he says matters have been made worse by business rate increases which came into effect on April 1.

It means Mr Marcantonio will have to fork out thousands of pounds more – despite his takings plummeting by 10 per cent compared to last year.

Mr Marcantonio has called on the rates hike to be reversed in bid to help small businesses deal with the UK’s worst recession in 70 years.

He fumed: “We see on the television and read in newspapers how much the government is claiming to do to help small businesses cope with the recession. It’s a joke.

“The reality is that small businesses in Hamilton have been clobbered with a five per cent increase.

“But the increase is too much and we can’t afford it.

“There are many empty shops in Quarry Street and there are fewer shoppers coming to the town.

“These factors should be taken into consideration when they set the rates.

“I need to put on many special offers to attract customers to come into my shop.”

Mr Marcantonio slammed the ‘blue meanies’ for driving customers away from Hamilton town centre.

“There are not as many people shopping in the Regent Centre,” he added.

“The ‘blue meanies’ are standing their like desperados hoping to catch people out.

“People don’t want this hassle of them looking over their shoulder when they are shopping.

“Customers are moving to the retail parks like ASDA and Tesco where there is free parking and no hassle from the ‘blue meanies’.

“The retail parks are killing us because of their free parking.

“We need the council to do something to attract customers back to Hamilton town centre.

“I don’t think they are very sympathetic.”

Mr Marcantonio said that while hundreds of council staff enjoy the benefit of free parking at the local authority’s car park in Beckford Street workers who park in the Regent Centre have had to pay an extra 18.2 per cent on their parking since the increase in charges came in on April 1.

A South Lanarkshire Council spokesman said: “The council collects rates from local business and sends them on to central government.

“The rateable value is determined by the Assessor, who is independent of both local and central government, and is the estimate of the annual rent which the property would command on the open market.”

The council spokesman said they had no plans to abolish car park charges in Hamilton town centre.

He added: “Car parking charges, on street and within car parks, form part of the council’s parking management strategy.

“This ensures short-stay parking spaces for shoppers near to The Regent Shopping Centre and long-stay parking for workers a little further out.

“There is no evidence either locally or nationally that parking charges deter significant number of shoppers.”