"Tony Bryer" wrote in message
...
In article , G&M wrote:
Agreed. Although twice the number of people, the Jaguar plant
closure will have a massive negative effect on the local economy
so I cannot believe the Screwfix closure won't. One wonders what
the local council thought it was playing at by not allowing an
expansion. Successful businesses need to expand and if an area
gets known for not allowing this, new businesses won't move there
in the first place.

You forget, perhaps, that business rates don't go to the local
council but into a central pot which is then distributed out using
some arcane formula. So SSDC get 1/723 (or whatever) of what Screwfix
pay in rates regardless of where they are located. Of course there is
the issue of votes as well, but that could work more than one way.

Business rates are small and should be abolished anyway. The real gain to
the council is more local people being employed and so not hogging up their
social services department.