Budget attack on rural businesses

Chancellor’s attack on rural tourism will cost jobs, hurt small businesses and leave homes in the countryside empty.

The Professional Association of Self Caterers UK (PASC UK) and the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) have joined forces to warn that today’s Budget will devastate rural and coastal communities.

PASC UK has warned that the Chancellor’s announcement to abolish the Furnished Holiday Lettings regime will shut down busy, small businesses that sustain rural and coastal communities and lead to an increase in empty second homes.

Alistair Handyside, Chair of PASC UK, said:

“The Chancellor has landed a hammer blow against hard working people living in rural and coastal communities by attacking our traditional, responsible sector. Rural and coastal small businesses and pubs need the tourist spend from short term lets to stay in business.

Instead of disproportionately targeting the 127,000 holiday homes estimated to fall within the Furnished Holiday Let regime, the Government should focus on measures to build the 300,000 new homes each year that they once targeted and tackle the 1.5 million vacant homes in England, Scotland and Wales.”

Fiona Campbell, CEO of ASSC, said:

“The UK Government simply has not listened to thousands of small business owners – including many in rural and remote areas in Scotland – who rely on our tourism economy for their livelihoods. All this measure will do is lead to thousands of job losses in our local communities.”