Jobs at risk after community retailer UNITY loses bid for business rates charity relief

Jobs could be at risk at an award-winning community retail venture in Peterborough after it lost its bid to be registered for business rates charity relief.

The decision by Peterborough City Council means that Unity, which has just agreed a three year lease to continue operating from the Queensgate Shopping Centre, now faces an unexpected annual bill of £26,000 for business rates.

And co-founder Dave Poulton has warned the impact could mean the loss of paid jobs in the shop.

The full amount of business rates is £40,000 but Unity is entitled to a 40 per cent discount bringing the annual amount down to £26,000.

But securing charity relief will have meant a zero business rates bill.

Mr Poulton said: “It is a shock. I had been led to believe that Unity would be entitled to charity relief.

"But that is not the case because the shop is mostly made up of individual traders selling their own products.

​He said: “At the moment it’s a choice between paying the rates or letting some people go. The £26,000 is the cost of two jobs.

"But we have no choice but to accept the decision and find a way where we can continue our collaborative community retail project.

"We are not going to walk away. We have worked far too hard to create local job opportunities.”

It is hoped that Unity’s just launched £250,000 reward-based crowdfunder campaign, led by Up The Garden Bath - UNITY’s collaborative parent organisation – will help ease its financial plight as well as funding its ambitious projects .

Since UNITY launched a year ago, providing a place for more than 50 small businesses, ranging from crafters, artists, makers and start-ups to sell their goods, the store has raised almost £370,000 for small businesses and has seen 30,000 transactions ring through the tills.

The council has been asked for a response to the business rates decision.

For details on the Crowdfund campaign, visit: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/up-the-garden-bath