More than seventy small business owners from across Monmouthshire packed out a public meeting in Usk Memorial Hall on Monday evening to discuss the business rates crisis facing the county’s high streets.

Businesses are facing a hike in their rates of as much as 588% from April 1.

Local AM Nick Ramsay called the meeting after concerns that such enormous rises could put many small firms out of business, resulting in job losses and a rise in vacant and boarded up premises blighting our high streets.

It was an opportunity for small business owners to question the Valuation Office Agency and Welsh Government as well as discuss a way forward.

County Cllr Bob Greenland, Deputy Leader of Monmouthshire County Council, explained how businesses can contact the VOA if they think their valuation is incorrect and the VAO will respond within forty days.

“The impact of these business rate rises on Monmouthshire’s high streets cannot be over-stated,” said Nick. “They could force many small businesses to close, resulting in job losses and a rise in vacant and boarded up premises blighting our high streets.

“I promised everyone who attended this meeting that I would keep up the pressure on the Welsh Government to postpone this damaging revaluation and look again at a more generous small business rate relief scheme – such as exists just across the border in England.

“I would now urge small business owners across the county to challenge their valuation with the VOA and continue to sign my online petition so through sheer people power, we can force the Welsh Government to support our small businesses.”

The meeting was chaired by the Mayor of Usk Cllr Tim Keenan and attended by amongst others David Cummings, Chairman of the Monmouth and District Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Phillip Mungeam, Chairman of the Usk Chamber of Trade, Sarah Barton of the Valuation Office Agency and Debra Carter, the Welsh Government’s Deputy Director of Local Government Division.

If businesses think the information about their property is factually incorrect and they therefore do not agree with the proposed level of assessment they can contact the VOA by e-mailing them at: [email protected]