ILKLEY BID is joining a nationwide call to the Government to support retail, hospitality and leisure-based business with a rateable value of more than £51k.

The #RaiseTheBar initiative is campaigning to raise the rateable value threshold from £51k to £150k for thousands of shops, pubs, clubs, restaurants, hotels and leisure businesses across the UK to allow access to the £25k Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant introduced following the Covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Rhodes, manager of Ilkley BID Ltd, said: “It has already been reported that Ilkley has been identified as one of the towns with a significant proportion of businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors.

“While many of our smaller businesses have received government grants, we have many who have fallen outside the criteria of the current scheme, including some of our larger independent businesses. The risk is not only to the businesses but also to the many people employed within them.

“That is why many of the Business Improvement Districts across the UK are supporting the #RaiseTheBar campaign and asking Government to increase the retail, hospitality and leisure rateable value threshold from £51k to £150k. In doing so, more business will have access to a £25k grant supporting their fight to survive and to allow them to play their central role in kick-starting our economy.”

The retail industry generated £394 billion worth of sales in 2019 with 306,655 units across the UK. In 2019, the UK leisure sector reached over £111 billion in sales. The UK hospitality employs over 3.2 million people, that is 11 per cent of UK jobs, making it the third largest sector in the UK, accounting for £130 billion in revenue, six per cent of all businesses and five per cent GDP.

Ilkley, Bradford and Keighley BIDs are putting their combined might behind the #RaiseTheBar campaign alongside championing the resilience of local businesses through the district’s #TogetherBradfordCan initiative which has been created with partners including Bradford Chamber of Commerce and Bradford Council to support, encourage and strengthen Bradford businesses.

Helen added: “We cannot underestimate the importance of our retail hospitality and leisure sectors and the people who work within them.

“There is a fantastic show of resilience, strength and determination among our local business community and it’s important that we work together as we head into the recovery phase and ensure the best outcomes for our sectors, our businesses and our communities.”

To support the campaign individually whether you work in the sectors or not, you can visit www.raisethebarcampaign.co.uk and sign up to make a positive change.