Rates rises threaten Huntly businesses
BUSINESSES on Huntly’s industrial estate facing the full brunt of the increase in rates bills say jobs could be lost.
QED Sales boss Stuart Murray called a meeting with Aberdeenshire councillors last week to discuss the impact on local employers.
His workforce is currently on a three-day week, facing cut-throat competition to win oil industry contracts.
Dean’s has put on hold plans for relocating storage and new production lines for gluten-free and chocolate-covered biscuits from its existing site to its new building at Linnorie.
Pipeline Technique Ltd (PTL), which employs 100 people at Huntly, has forecast its turnover to fall by two-thirds by 2018, from a record £84 million in 2016. An increase of £23,100 on its rates bill for 2016 of £121,391 will force the company to look for savings.
Philip Morrison at Rizza’s is angry that his Gordon Street retail outlet and production facility at Steven Road are grouped for rating, despite the claim that the majority of high street businesses do not pay rates.
Aberdeenshire councillors Moira Ingleby, John Latham, Gwyneth Petrie and Margo Stewart met business representatives who pointed out that of 11,700 businesses in Aberdeenshire, the rates burden falls on just over 3000.
The Huntly Express spoke to the businessmen. For the full story see this week's Huntly Express.
