Businesses in threat not to pay over rise in tables fees
A GROUP of Torquay harbourside businesses facing a 600 per cent hike in council charges for pavement table fees have threatened not to pay the new bill.
The cafes and bars in Vaughan Parade and Torwood Street have warned that up to 60 jobs could be put at risk.
Torbay Council owns the land where they put their tables and says it has a duty to taxpayers and other similar licence holders to charge the correct amount.
But the traders say the new charges of £200 per table a year in Vaughan Parade and £150 for Torwood Street, Fleet Street and Palk Street will cripple their businesses. For some it is a 600 per cent increase on their current bills and is more than the City of Westminster charges (£3,364) and more than double Plymouth (£1,500) and nearly 20 times Brighton (£311).
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The English Riviera Tourism Company, which has been actively promoting alfresco dining, also described it as 'disappointing'.
The bosses of Off Shore, Vaughans and Shiraz in Vaughan Parade, Bianco, Amici and the Clocktower have pleaded with Torbay Council to reconsider with the backing of the Torbay Town Centres Company. They have said they will only pay the same amount as 2012/13.
Brett Morton, of Offshore Bar and Restaurant, has 20 tables and now pays £560 for the licence which will increase to £4,000. He said they had written to the council saying they considered the way the council had decided on the rise was 'unreasonable', with 'no consultation, no justification, no equality between the various premises or with other areas, and no indication of how the new rates were fixed'.
The council's proposed alternative, that the traders use fewer tables, would hit their viability.
He said: "We have said we are not paying any more unless they contact us, talk to us and do it sensibly and carry out a fair consultation. We have had over a 100 comments of support on our Facebook page. I haven't spoken to anybody who agrees with it."
Rob Newman, of Kitsons solicitors acting for the licensees, said they had been told the matter is now with the council's legal department. He said: "We said to the council our clients want to work with the council and are not seeking confrontation, but do wish to be involved in a proper consultation process."
A Torbay Council spokesman said: "We are currently seeking advice from our legal team in respect of points raised in correspondence."
5 Comments
by The-tourist
Thursday, March 14 2013, 5:13PM
“How many tables do you think get used in middle of January Brigga.
Will the council give a bad weather rebate I wonder.
All that will happen is Joe public will get charged more, and tourists will go elsewhere - **** decision council !!”
by ineedtherapy
Thursday, March 14 2013, 12:06PM
“Azriel22
In answer to your question
What kind of idiot do they employ to come up with that ?
Probably a grossly overpaid and under qualified one......”
by Azriel22
Thursday, March 14 2013, 10:45AM
“......
"Council proposes they put out fewer tables"!
What kind of idiot do they employ to come up with that? Perhaps if they didn't put out any tables and closed their doors the council would deem it a success.
As for the matter being dealt with by the council's legal department - don't hold your breath. Perhaps they'll fit it in between work on getting the £50,000 uncollected balloon rent.”
by Brigga
Thursday, March 14 2013, 10:41AM
“Shock horror the Council try and get some money in from businesses!!
Its been a long time since i studied maths but if my sums are right, they have been having 20 tables outside and only having to pay £28 a YEAR per table? 4 customers per table, that's £7 a year for each potential customer isn't it?
It is a big rise but unless i have missed something at £4000 a year and £200 a table that is still only 55p a day for each table isn't it? that would be the EXTORTIONATE rate of 14p per DAY for each potential customer rather than the presumably acceptable to them rate of 2p per DAY per potential customer?
Are the businesses really saying that having to pay 55p a day for the table instead of 8p a day they have got away with paying for years is going to put them out of business? if so then maybe they need to look at the fundamental problems their business must have from a wider perspective and stop blaming the council or looking for sensationalism to stop them having to pay for the cream they have been having for years”
by JosefLeninski
Thursday, March 14 2013, 9:25AM
“Are the council providing extra services for this rise, maybe they are cleaning the pavements of doggy whatsit, or maybe the police are removing drug addicts from begging there, or maybe smashed beer bottles are being cleaned up. If so these are services that the rest of Torquay don't get so they will have to be paid for. Do you get you rubbish collected every week.”