Pied à Terre's David Moore petitions government to review business rates

The owner of Pied à Terre is calling on the government and London's City Hall to review the effectiveness of business rates to stop what he describes as ‘high street armageddon'.

Restaurateur David Moore has called for a thorough review into the introduction of a sales tax as an alternative to business rates to ease pressures on restaurants. Alongside this he is calling for the government to consider a reduction in VAT on food sales.

Moore has set up a change.org petition directed at London mayor Sadiq Khan to "Reduce VAT and explore alternatives to business rates across the United Kingdom". He is also in the process of petitioning the government directly.

While business rates are decided by the government, the mayor is able to claim some of the income raised to be reinvested into London, and has previously written to ministers opposing increases.

Moore said: "This is not just a fight to save the popular chains we all know and love, but a battle to give relief to small family and independent businesses.

“We have to take a stand. The restaurant businesses on the high street, which employ hundreds of thousands of people in the UK, thus supporting families all over the country, need urgent help to survive.”

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