'Anything and everything helps': Leeds music venue welcomes Andy Burnham's business rates cut
‘It's something we were desperate for’
Leeds pub and music venue operators have welcomed news that business rates will be cut by 20 per cent for pubs, clubs and music venues across England.
Starting in April next year, the measures announced by new prime minister Andy Burnham will apply to nearly 32,000 hospitality businesses and are expected to save a typical pub around £1,100 annually.
For Rick Wade, founder and co-owner of music venue, pub and guitar shop Northern Guitars on Call Lane, the announcement is “very positive”.
“It’s no secret we're all struggling,” he told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“Anything and everything helps. No matter how big or how small, this is obviously quite a big deal.
"It's something we were desperate for, and it's great news that it's come to pass so early in the new parliament."
Rick described the cuts as providing vital “headroom” in an industry that “makes little to no money”.
He said: "I'm the guy that actually has to sit and pay the bills every month, and when I see our rates bill has gone through the roof, it's several hundred pounds more, and I've got to pay this.
“That's got to come from somewhere, and it's only going to come from people walking into the bar and paying for a drink.
"There's only so much money I can add on to the price of a drink before people stop coming.”
Rick points to the support for business rates offered to venues during the pandemic, which has since fallen away, suggesting that these new cuts help “recover some of that ground.”
He feels the rate cut signals that both local and national government are finally recognising the importance of live music and grassroots venues as part of the cultural sector.
"Andy Burnham likes gigs. (Leeds Central MP) Alex Sobel likes gigs. They're gig‑going people,” he added.
“Hopefully, they understand where grassroots music venues are coming from and what they contribute. So you'd like to think it's a little bit of a fresh look at the importance of live music."
Earlier this year, Northern Guitars was acquired by Music Venue Properties (MVP), a pioneering charitable Community Benefit Society established by the Music Venue Trust.
The purchase marks the venue's transition into permanent protection under community ownership, removing the building from the risks of the commercial property market and safeguarding it as a local cultural asset.
In a statement, Music Venue Trust welcomed the news, but warned there are still issues that need to be addressed.
“Music Venue Trust warmly welcomes this morning’s announcement from the UK Government, and its recognition that Grassroots Music Venues are essential to our local communities,” the statement reads.
“The 20 per cent additional reduction on Business Rates in England for live music venues from April 2027 is an encouraging first step. It is just one of a range of opportunities available to Andy Burnham’s new team to not just protect and secure live music, but begin to restore its central role at the heart of our towns and cities.
“There remain some issues of implementation of previous reliefs, and we will work with colleagues in government, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and HM Treasury to ensure that all grassroots music venues in England are recognised and eligible.”
It was also revealed today that Andy Burnham is among more than 2,500 people who have invested in MVP, which has purchased 10 venues to date. Other investors include Norman Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim, Squeeze co-founder and frontman Glenn Tilbrook, and singer-songwriter Katie Melua.