MP supports new campaign to give tax relief to Shropshire grassroots music venues

Mr Pritchard has added his name to a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, calling for business rates for music venues to be lowered in the next Budget – just as they were for many pubs in the Autumn 2018 Budget.

According to a report by Insure4Music, 20 per cent of the UK’s small music venues have closed in the last 15 years, with 54 closing since 2014 and 26 venues closing in the last two years.

Thirty five per cent of grassroots venues over the last decade have closed, according to the Music Venue Trust.

However, under the business rates retail discount scheme introduced in the Autumn Budget 2018, grassroots music venues are described as “not similar in nature” to pubs and clubs and therefore they do not currently benefit from the same tax relief.

Pledging to support the campaign, Mark Pritchard MP said: “I am delighted to support the campaign to give tax relief to grassroots music venues.

"This Government has a strong track record of supporting British pubs by cutting their business rates, and I believe that now is the right time to give a boost to local music venues to help create the conditions that they need to grow

“Thriving local music venues are an important and valued part of many towns, providing entertainment for local people and places for the next generation of British musical talent to emerge.”