Tesco Extra

Forty-eight Tescos are among 115 supermarkets over 25,000 sq ft left with an £80m bill 

  • The move leaves 167 retail, leisure and hospitality premises in Wales paying full business rates

  • Branches of Debenhams, House of Fraser, John Lewis, Primark and Matalan are among the retail premises denied relief

 

A U-turn in Wales on business rates holidays will leave 115 supermarkets having to pay their full bill during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Welsh government initially said it would replicate plans announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak last month to give all retail, leisure and hospitality premises a year off business rates. But days later it changed its mind, limiting the relief to premises with a rateable value below £500,000.

It leaves 167 retail, leisure and hospitality premises in Wales paying full business rates, according to real estate adviser Altus Group.

Of those, 115 are supermarkets over 25,000 sq ft, including 48 Tesco stores, 29 Morrisons, 24 Asda, 10 Sainsbury’s, five M&S and four Waitrose branches.

Between them they will now have to pay normal business rates totalling £78.02m for 2020/21, according to figures from Altus.

The figures come as pressure builds on supermarkets over the £3bn business rates holiday they are enjoying elsewhere in the UK, as their sales soar and other sectors flounder.

Non-food retailers are agitating for England to follow Wales in excluding the supermarkets from rates relief, The Times reported on Saturday.

Branches of Debenhams, House of Fraser, John Lewis, Primark and Matalan are also among 136 retail premises denied relief in Wales.

The total bill for the 167 for the year will be £109.89m, Altus said.

Meanwhile, some 52,738 premises in Wales which are below £500,000 are in line for a 100% discount, saving £411.81m.

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