Empty high street stores are gutting town halls of £600 million a year

FIFTY thousand empty High Street shops are leaving town halls £600 million a year out of pocket , new analysis shows.

Firms including  Tesco, Morrison’s and Greggs are calling on the new government to implement an immediate freeze to business rates followed by a radical  shake-up to revitalise town centres.

The North West region is losing £96 million with London missing out on £150 million annually  which would  normally fund services such as education, housing and rubbish collection.

Campaigners also want a substantial reduction in the so-called Shops Tax as they battle the rising costs.

More shops are expected to go out of business in the coming months.

A Retail Jobs Alliance spokesperson said:  “Nobody benefits from empty shops. They employ no staff, they attract no customers, they pay no tax and they blight our high streets.

“Yet high business rates are putting retailers out of business, forcing shops to close and making it harder to open new premises.

“We need an urgent freeze in the Shops Tax, followed by a substantial reduction for all retailers.

“Cutting the Shops Tax would actually increase revenues for local government, because more shops would be able to open and start to pay tax. High business rates aren’t just bad for retailers – they’re bad for everyone.”