Green plan to tackle urban blight and boost revenue
For immediate release 18 January 2011
The Scottish Green Party today called for exemptions from the non-domestic rates regime for empty business premises in Scotland to be restricted, a move which would help raise much-needed revenue for public services as well as tackling urban blight and boosting economic activity. Exemptions from the Uniform Business Rate for empty business premises were restricted in England in March 2007 and David Cameron's government has said that it will not reverse the decision. The Welsh Assembly introduced a similar policy in 2008.
The most recent Scottish Government figures show the total cost of this exemption at