wigan.gov.uk@wigancouncilwigancouncilWiganCouncilOnline

Business Rates2018/19

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Foreword by the Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr David Molyneux

Councillor David Molyneux Deputy Leader of Wigan Council

Welcome to this year’s Business Rates information booklet.

At Wigan Council we are 100% committed to helping local businesses prosper and growing our local economy.

This means helping small and medium sized businesses as well as the major employers in our borough.

Our Deal for Business is the council’s way of supporting and championing local businesses but also a way for businesses to give back to their communities.

For our part we will keep business rates as low as possible, provide business support and advice and improve our roads and physical infrastructure among others.

For your part we ask you to pay business rates on time, offer apprenticeships, upskill members of staff and give back to the local community.

We are delighted that we already have more than 100 businesses signed up to The Deal for Business and we want this to grow.

Find out more about the Deal for Business and how to sign up overleaf.

The council takes very seriously its responsibility to make doing business in the borough as successful and as seamless as possible.

One major asset the borough has is its geographic location and transport connections.

We are now driving forward major infrastructure investment in our roads with the A49 link road and M58 link road and of course HS2 coming to Wigan is a major boost for the area.

Wigan will officially become the ‘Gateway to HS2’ in the North West.

While the start of the high speed rail route is some years off, HS2 is already creating significant developer interest and we are determined to seize all the opportunities this will present to business in the borough.

Investing in our town centres - Bradshawgate in Leigh

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The Deal was launched in 2013, and now, five years on we would like to thank all residents of the borough for doing their part of The Deal. By working together, we have managed to protect front line services whilst budgets are reduced and have the lowest Council Tax rise across Greater Manchester.

Businesses can now play their part through the Deal for Business. You can help support your local community by employing apprentices, offering local companies the opportunity to be suppliers, paying business rates on time and volunteering. The council will play its part too and there are even Business Booster loans and grants available.

Thank you for doing your part of The Deal

for business

Our part Your part• Keep business rates as low as possible

• Cut red tape and provide value for money

• Provide a world class business support system

• Build well connected physical infrastructure

• Go Digital #digitalwigan

• Training of local people to meet business needs

• Raise the profile of Wigan

• Work with Greater Manchester partners to maximise benefits

• Invest in you

• Pay business rates on time

• Create a healthy workplace

• Think local when recruiting

• Offer apprenticeships and traineeships

• Go digital #digitalwigan

• Give back to the local community

• Recycle more, recycle right

• Upskill employees with training and development

• Invest in Wigan

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Paula Huber set up Cherry Blossom Funerals in January.

She decided to establish the business after her own experiences of funerals.

She said: “The sector is very traditional which is great. However, that isn’t for everyone.”

“People are different now, and as times change so do people’s views on things, lots of people now look for celebrations of life as well as the traditional funeral.”

Paula spent two years before opening Cherry Blossom Funerals planning and researching the sector and also working in funeral directors in London and then Leeds, before opening in her hometown of Wigan.

Cherry Blossom Funerals is a small, independent, family-owned funeral company based in Orrell.

Paula explained: “I wanted to make sure I knew as much about the sector as possible before opening up my own business.

“We endeavour to provide meaningful and respectful funerals to match a range of choices and budgets whilst providing a high quality personal and professional service to all of my clients.”

Paula has recently been awarded funding from Wigan Council’s Business Booster, which has been a helping hand in the first few months of opening her new business.

Paula said: “It can be quite difficult in this sector when you first start off, as understandably people need to trust you with their loved ones funerals.

“At first you have such high costs because you are establishing yourself, so to have that little bit of support to keep you going was really helpful.”

Contact Paula at: paula@cherryblossomfunerals.co.uk

Contact Wigan Council’s Business Engagement teamEmail: business@wigan.gov.uk

Phone: 01942 489190

Advice and information: www.wiganworks.com

Wigan Borough’s great businesses:

Lives are celebrated thanks to Paula’s new business

“I wanted to make sure I knew as much about the sector as possible before

opening up my own business.”Cherry Blossom Funerals

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Wigan Borough’s great businesses:

Contact Wigan Council’s Business Engagement teamEmail: business@wigan.gov.uk

Phone: 01942 489190

Advice and information: www.wiganworks.com

A local company dedicated to developing the borough’s youth through military principles are advocates for ‘The Deal for Business’.

The School of Military signed up to Wigan Council’s ‘The Deal for Business’ in December 2017, which has helped to widen their network and encouraged them to think differently.

They employ a mix of ex-military and serving personnel to instil discipline, respectful values and tolerance in students, helping them to make positive decisions.

Martin Leech, managing director of The School of Military said: “The Deal has changed our mind-set and made us realise our true capabilities.

“We currently have a presence in four areas but since the council put us in touch with the business growth hub, we’ve been inspired to expand into a further three by the end of the year.”

By using core values from the army, The School of Military teaches key life skills including resilience and

acceptance of social and personal responsibility, which will guide young people through life and provide a genuine sense of achievement.

Martin continued: “We work regularly with schools and disengaged students to provide an enjoyable environment for young people to thrive, so when the opportunity arose to give back to the community, it was an easy decision to make.

“I’d definitely recommend the programme to other businesses, it’s a free service and is a win-win.

“Not only have the council widened our professional network and helped us shape our business plans but thanks to them, we’re now looking forward to other engagement opportunities such as working with the youth zone and being involved in Armed Forces Day.

“We love being a part of Wigan Borough and our headquarters will always remain here.”

For more information about The Deal for Business, visit www.wiganworks.com

The School of Military shows your borough needs YOU!

“I’d definitely recommend the programme to other businesses, it’s

a free service and is a win-win.”The School of Military

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Contact Wigan Council’s Business Engagement teamEmail: business@wigan.gov.uk

Phone: 01942 489190

Advice and information: www.wiganworks.com

Wigan Borough’s great businesses:

A Wigan security shutter business is expanding and flourishing after celebrating 10 years in business.

IL Security Shutters, based in Ince, manufacture, install, maintain and repair all types of roller shutters, industrial doors and associated security products. It has a growing portfolio of blue chip companies, commercial and industrial clients as well as long standing relationships in the education sector.

The company was set up in March 2007 by Ian and Emma Collings, inspired by the birth of their first child Lucas – hence the company name. Prior to founding Ian Lucas Security Shutters Ltd , Ian was employed by a local roller shutter company for 13 years. After just over 10 years in business IL Security Shutters has grown and prospered but the company’s success has not been without significant challenges.

Ian and Emma’s daughter, Gabriella, became critically ill at just four months old.

Gabriella went into heart failure at the family home in Wigan and shortly after being admitted to The Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, she was

transferred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital where she was diagnosed with several life threatening heart defects.

“We spent 6 months at Alder Hey as Gabriella underwent two lifesaving open heart operations,” said Emma.

“We have had years of recovery since and she is still supported by them today.”

The family pulled through this difficult time while keeping the business going.

The company marked its 10th year anniversary last March and in April they celebrated investing in new machinery and moving to new 5,000 sq ft premises in Ince.

The company has now signed up to The Deal for Business in partnership with Wigan Council and have found it a successful way to network throughout the business community.

Ian said: “The Deal has allowed us to tap into knowledge of what is happening in the borough and to be part of a platform of support to other likeminded businesses, more importantly other enterprises where we can offer our support.”

IL Security Shutters

Wigan shutter business secures a great future

”The Deal has allowed us to tap into knowledge of what is happening in the borough and to be part of a platform of

support to other likeminded businesses.”

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Wigan Borough’s great businesses:

Contact Wigan Council’s Business Engagement teamEmail: business@wigan.gov.uk

Phone: 01942 489190

Advice and information: www.wiganworks.com

For many years Wigan has lived in the shadow of its more illustrious neighbours of Manchester and Liverpool.

But change is happening in Wigan and its strategic position at the heart of the North West is now massively playing to its advantage.

Wigan Borough is home to 320,000 residents, has 12,000 businesses and has growth plans to create tens of thousands of new jobs over the coming decades.

Wigan has a prime geographic location being on the West Coast Mainline and is the only borough in GM with direct access to the M6 motorway.

Its rail connections have led to a coup for Wigan with the confirmation of the HS2 line starting just a mile south of Wigan North Western station.

This means Wigan will officially become the ‘Gateway to HS2’ in the North West.

It will create 25,000 construction jobs, 2,000 apprenticeships and 3,000 operational jobs.

Once completed Wigan will connect to Birmingham in just 35 minutes, London in one hour 23 minutes, and will mean more than 8,000 extra seats for commuters per day.

There are major developments ahead for Wigan town centre with details to be announced soon and the council supports the retail offer with vibrant events such as the annual Wigan Pride event.

Wigan Pier is on the cusp of an exciting new chapter in its eventful history with a new developer appointed to drive forward its regeneration.

The Wigan Pier Quarter has recently seen the development of the Pier Centre conference centre and performance venue, approved planning permission for a social, arts and café venue in a former industrial building next to the pier and Trencherfield Mill continues to attract interest from major employers as a new new employment and office hub.

Thanks to its proximity to the M6, Wigan has also been the focus of a hotbed of growth in the logistics sector in recent years. Wigan is emerging as the go-to place for logistics development in Greater Manchester.

Wigan has a prime geographic location being on the West Coast Mainline with

direct access to the M6 motorway.Why Wigan works for business

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National Non Domestic Rates Privacy Notice

We will collect and use information about you to perform our statutory duty to administer and enforce National Non Domestic Rates under the Local Government Finance Act 1988. Where we use other organisations to deliver our services, or store personal information, we will have an information sharing agreement in place to ensure your data is secure. We may use information about you to help to

deliver other Wigan Council services and support to you, to perform our other statutory duties and to protect public funds. We may also share your information where the law requires us to, for example - in order to find and stop crime and fraud or where there is an overriding reason such as where we may have safeguarding concerns. We will make sure that we record what information we share and our reasons for doing so.

How your data may be used

Online: www.wigan.gov.uk/businessrates

Phone: 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

Business Rates 01942 489015 businessrates@wigan.gov.uk

Benefit Fraud line 0800 854440 benefits@wigan.gov.uk

Valuation Office Agency 03000 501 501 www.voa.gov.uk

Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation 0207 831 3505 www.irrv.org.uk

Card payment line 01942 489006

Pay a council bill www.wigan.gov.uk/payit

Complaints www.wigan.gov.uk/contactus

How to contact us

Go to www.wigan.gov.uk/Whatarebusinessrates for information about:

• Business Rates in general;

• Rateable Values and how they are determined;

• The Multiplier;

• Transitional Arrangements for the revaluation;

• Unoccupied Property Rating; and

• Reliefs.

Visit www.wigan.gov.uk/businessrates for information about how to:

• Check your Rateable Value;

• Tell us about a change; or

• Ask us something.

Visit www.wigan.gov.uk/businessratesreliefs for information about how to apply for any of the available Business Rates Reliefs.

The Valuation Office Agency, an agency of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, is responsible for assigning a rateable value to every business premises in England.

The rateable value assigned to your business premises is shown at the front of your bill and you can check it in more detail at www.gov.uk/voa/revaluation

See the back of your bill for more information.

For information about Wigan Council’s income and spending go to www.wigan.gov.uk/ incomeandspending

Business Rates – General Information

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We can make the information in this booklet available in other formats and languages on request. Contact us at: Wigan Council, PO Box 100, Wigan, WN1 3DS. 01942 489015 businessrates@wigan.gov.uk

Printed March 2018