Business representatives in Hastings have welcomed the Government's package of measures to provide rates relief for small businesses.

The Chancellor, John Healey, outlined the package when he delivered his Autumn Budget on Wednesday (October 28).

The Treasury said this includes an extra 20 per cent relief for pubs, social clubs and all but the largest live music venues, and is in addition to the support introduced earlier in 2026, bringing the total relief to 35 per cent. It said this support will be provided in 2027/28 and 2028/29

The Treasury also unveiled an increase in Small Business Rates Relief Thresholds for qualifying retail, hospitality and leisure properties to £18,000 (full relief) and £21,000 (tapered relief).

The Government announced a real-terms retail, hospitality and leisure, pubs and live music venue bill freeze for two years until March 31, 2029.

John Bownas, manager of Love Hastings Ltd, which represents town centre businesses, said: “Love Hastings definitely welcomes this news for many of our smaller shops and hospitality businesses.

“The savings for some will be quite significant – thousands of pounds a year. Looking at the figures available for the Business Improvement District area there could be around 72 individual town centre shops who see savings of around £250k collectively, and if the taper that currently applies extends to those with rateable values over £18,000 that number might be as high as 85, with the total saving rising to closer to £300k.

“Across the borough as a whole there will be plenty more, and this will I’m sure come as good news for them all. It doesn’t just help people pay their bills, it means that small businesses owners will have more money to spend elsewhere, so the benefits of this move will multiply locally.”

A spokesperson for the Treasury said: “This year’s Budget backs England’s high streets with a package that means that all retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England will see their business rates either frozen in real terms, reduced, or cut to zero.

“On top of the extra 20 per cent business rates cut for pubs and all but the largest live music venues, announced in July, this package will take around 70,000 more retail, hospitality and leisure businesses out of business rates by increasing the Small Business Rates Relief threshold.

“As a result, half of all retail, hospitality and leisure properties will pay no business rates. The Chancellor has also announced a two-year real-terms freeze in business rates bills for all retail, hospitality and leisure properties.

“The package will be paid for by tackling non-compliance on online marketplaces, increasing gambling tax on higher-risk machine games, and extending a 1p supplement for businesses that have seen reductions or smaller increases in their business rates bills.

“As part of efforts to clean up and strengthen our high streets, vape shops and adult gaming centres will also no longer benefit from certain business rates reliefs. This helps to ensure support is targeted towards the shops, pubs, cafés and other businesses that help local communities thrive.”