Somerset campsite's business rate bill rises by 2,700 per cent

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 06:32 · Archive

A family-run campsite in Cheddar, Somerset, has seen its annual business rate bill increase from £1,070 to £28,820.

Petruth Paddocks, a family-run campsite in Cheddar, Somerset, has seen its annual business rates bill increase from £1,070 to £28,820. The campsite welcomes over 20,000 visitors a year and supports more than 50 local jobs, as well as supporting other local businesses such as the Cider Barn in Draycott. Business rates are set by the Valuation Office Agency and collected by Somerset Council on behalf of the Treasury.

Wells and Mendip Hills MP Tessa Munt raised the issue in the House of Commons on 15 October, saying she had been contacted by the campsite about the increase. She described it as 'a kicking' and called the hike 'catastrophic', noting that the business had received no meaningful warning and no chance to plan for the rise. The government decides on an annual basis how much funding local authorities can retain to pay for public services.

How it is being reported

• Family-run Somerset campsite sees business rate bill rise by 2,700 per cent'They really cannot take this kind of kicking'SomersetLive · 20 Oct, 05:59
• Family-run Somerset campsite sees business rate bill rise by 2,700 per centPetruth Paddocks welcomes more over 20,000 visitors a year and supports more than 50 local jobs - but a business rates hike has put it under threatSomerset County Gazette · 18 Oct, 12:00

In this story: Petruth Paddocks · Cheddar · Tessa Munt · Wells and Mendip Hills · Somerset Council · Valuation Office Agency

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