Budget attracts positive response
Published: 24 March, 2011
The 2011 budget has received a cautious welcome from retail and property industry bodies
Chancellor George Osborne announced that he was cutting fuel duty by 1p and delaying the 1p fuel duty increase due next month.
The British Retail Consortium's director general Stephen Robertson said: “This is more help than expected and a very welcome relief from some of the fuel cost pressure that’s hitting businesses as well as households. On its own it won’t make a huge difference to household budgets but should give a boost to struggling consumer confidence.”
And the Chancellor announced the relaxation of planning laws to help businesses get development projects going. Robertson said: “This could be a major step forward for investment and therefore jobs. We need a planning system that’s streamlined, efficient and delivers more certainty and predictability. A presumption in favour of development and removing unnecessary planning requirements will help economic growth and free planners to accelerate decisions where they should be involved. For example, it should be made easier to make internal changes to commercial buildings.”
And the BCSC's Edward Cooke said: “The Chancellor’s confirmed commitment to both streamlining the planning system, and a presumption in favour of sustainable development is welcome, but Government is yet to provide a clear definition of what this will mean. Proposals to relax Use Class Orders to facilitate changes from commercial to residential use may help to regenerate some town centres – but only in accordance with a sustainable local plan that delivers a mix of retail, residential and commercial uses.
“We acknowledge that retail vacancy rates are an increasing problem for parts of the UK, with figures from the Local Data Company showing 14.5% of total retail stock was empty at the end of 2010. In reality, much of the vacant space on our high streets is not in the right place or in the right format for modern retailers’ requirements. However, caution is needed and Local Authorities must not be allowed arbitrarily choose residential classes over retail, which is needed to support viable communities; if old units are not longer suitable, then new developments must be encouraged.”
