A leading Harrogate hospitality boss has welcomed Andy Burnham's business rates cut for pubs and live venues as a “meaningful nudge in the right direction” for a sector he says is an essential part of the town’s social fabric.

But Simon Cotton, Group Managing Director of the Fat Badger Group which manages seven hotels and bars in the Harrogate area, said that the announcement by the new Prime Minister of a 20% reduction in business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues “doesn’t go far enough” for the town’s hospitality sector as a whole.

"Andy Burnham’s cut is expected to save the typical venue around £1,100 next year,” said Mr Cotton.

"In a sector where margins are routinely wafer‑thin and costs have been rising relentlessly, that isn’t nothing.

Simon Cotton, Group Managing Director of Fat Badger Group, said that the announcement of a 20% reduction in business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues is welcome but “doesn’t go far enough.” (Picture Gerard Binks)

placeholder image — Simon Cotton, Group Managing Director of Fat Badger Group, said that the announcement of a 20% reduction in business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues is welcome but “doesn’t go far enough.” (Picture Gerard Binks)

"It’s a meaningful nudge in the right direction.

"But let’s be honest; hospitality has been through the wringer.

"Last year’s rate increases hit like a hammer, and even with January’s earlier 15% relief, today’s announcement is more a partial correction than a transformational fix.”

The Labour Prime Minister’s new package of support was also welcomed by Michelle Ovens CBE, the founder of Small Business Britain, who said it was "encouraging to see the Prime Minister announce business rates cuts for pubs, social clubs and live music venues, which are important anchors of our local high street."

The popular Little Ale House in Harrogate, which celebrated its tenth anniversary this year, is one of Harrogate's independent bars which will benefit from Prime Minister Andy Burnham's 20% reduction in business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues.

Celebrity chef and publican Tom Kerridge, who has been leading a campaign to cut hospitality VAT to 10%, told BBC Radio 5 Live the move showed the Government "was beginning to listen."

But, he added, "I'm hopeful that as the Prime Minister and his team begin to get their feet underneath the table, there will be more and more measures coming into place to help hospitality."

A well-known champion of Harrogate, hotelier Simon Cotton believes Burnham’s new measures represent a genuine step forward for an industry he believes plays a role beyond the economy.

"Harrogate’s pubs and bars aren’t just places to grab a pint, they’re part of the town’s social fabric, the pre‑theatre warm‑up, the conference‑delegate welcome mat, the heartbeat of Cold Bath Road amongst others,” said Mr Cotton.

Harrogate's much-loved small venue the Blues Bar is the town's only seven nights a week live music venue. (Picture contributed)

"A reduction in business rates gives operators a little more breathing room to invest in staff, refurbish tired spaces or simply keep the lights on through quieter months.

"And unlike some national policies that feel designed for big cities, this one genuinely lands in towns like ours.”

Despite encouraging signs from Andy Burnham, Mr Cotton said the bigger picture for the hospitality sector remained a real concern, as did the exclusion of restaurants from the new measures.

"The relief is not available to the largest live music venues,” said Mr Cotton, “and it excludes restaurants and hotels, a point already raising eyebrows in the hospitality sector.

"Hospitality is an ecosystem: pubs benefit from thriving hotels, hotels benefit from vibrant bars, and restaurants rely on footfall generated by all of the above.

"Targeted support is welcome but selective support risks creating confusion and fragmentation."

As for the future, there has to be more to come from Andy Burnham.

"If the Government wants towns like Harrogate to keep shining, to keep attracting visitors, conferences, and investment, the new PM’s announcement must be the beginning of a broader rethink, not the end of the conversation,” said Mr Cotton.