Sandwell Council losing £1.7m in rates

More than 400 shops and offices are standing empty across Sandwell – leading to the council missing out on almost £1.7 million in business rates, it has emerged.

The full impact of the economic downturn on the borough has been revealed by council officers in a new report. Traders today called for action after figures showed 439 units were standing vacant in the borough.

Councillor Ray Nock, leader of Sandwell's Tory opposition group, today called on the council to give more incentives to encourage traders.

"At the moment our council is collecting zero from empty commercial premises.

"I am proposing massive reductions or rate-free zones as part of a package to stimulate growth,"?he said.

"This could be linked with rent reductions on council property and we could also start talks with private landlords to get them to lower their rents. Some revenue is much better than zero."

But councillor Ian Jones, the authority's jobs and economy chief, said levels of business rates were set by Government and only collected by the council.

In Sandwell, West Bromwich has already been highlighted as having more shops standing empty than almost every other town of a medium size in the country. Only Dudley has more.

Matthew Price, owner of Britannia Bakeries in West Bromwich indoor market for the past 11 years, put his notice in at the end of last year. He said extra parking near trade centres would halt the "steady decline".

Meanwhile Birmingham's Bullring saw more than five million customers in December defying the high street gloom.