Mary Portas disputes delay in rate review wil benefit town centres

Retail tsar, Mary Portas, the name behind Stockport’s winning Portas Pilot scheme, agrees with local MP Ann Coffey that the government’s delay in reviewing business rates until 2017 will do nothing to aid the recovery of the UK’s High Streets and town centre communities.  She has said that the decision is a tragedy for the high street and is greatly disappointed. This may affect High Streets throughout the UK as well as the 27 English towns awarded the Portas Pilot scheme to help regenerate town centres.