Blackpool Airport EZ awards record level of relief rates

Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone has awarded the highest level of business rates relief to local businesses out of all enterprise zones in the UK.

A new government report shows that of the Business Rates Relief (NNDR3) awarded to businesses by enterprise zones in England, Blackpool granted a record £689,000, the largest of any single EZ in the financial year 2020/2021.

Between 2016 and 2022 Blackpool Council (as the accountable body for the EZ and on behalf of Fylde Council) has awarded a total of £2.7m in business rates relief to 75 local Fylde and Blackpool businesses.

The council is committed to awarding a further £1.6m in legacy relief until 2027, taking the estimated total to £4.3m over the lifetime of the scheme.

The revenues team in liaison with the EZ team put together a policy to manage how relief would be awarded, for how much and to whom. This became a joint policy across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre local authority areas.

The policy was approved by the relevant committees of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre to create a uniform approach across the Fylde Coast. For Blackpool Airport EZ this centred on energy, aviation, food and drink, creative and digital businesses and microenterprise small businesses.

Any growth in the net position of the business rates is retained locally every year for 25 years and then paid across to the accountable body, with the funds invested back into the EZ through enabling infrastructure and future development. All EZ-related business rate relief will cease in 2027.

Coun Mark Smith, cabinet member for business, enterprise and job creation, said: "It is difficult to compare each of the Enterprise Zones like for like as each one is very different in terms of size, levels of enabling infrastructure, existing commercial uses and sector clusters.

"Blackpool Airport EZ incorporates two existing successful business parks and an operational airport, and as such we have been fortunate to be able to make best use of the business rates relief benefits, helping as many businesses as possible and being able to fill the empty units, which means the business parks are operating at full capacity which is great for the local economy.

"Businesses that have benefited from business rates relief have had crucial flexibility in their cash flow to enable them to make plans for the future, invest in staff or new machinery, or have expanded product lines and services where it might not have been possible without the benefit of the relief. It has been a huge success and a financial benefit that will be missed by all involved now the incentive scheme has come to an end.”