Business rates windfall boost to moss road hopes

Hopes of the long-awaited direct link from Lytham to the M55 have been boosted by a £1m windfall to Fylde Council.
Wild Lane across the moss to the M55 has been closed since 2014Wild Lane across the moss to the M55 has been closed since 2014
Wild Lane across the moss to the M55 has been closed since 2014

A special meeting of the council’s finance and democracy committee was told that the dismissal of recent high-value business rate appeals had provided the one-off cash boost.

Recent appeal decisions in the Council’s favour has meant that money set aside to meet the cost of the appeals, potentially amounting to £1m, can now be used for the good of the borough and committee chairman Coun Karen Buckley, said “It is great news.

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“We can now fulfil our pledge to contribute £1m to the renewal of the M55 link road – a vital connecting road across the moss that was closed three years ago by Lancashire County Council.”

Coun Buckley added that additional income from business growth in the borough is also set to bring a boost of around £900,000 a year to Fylde Council from 2017-18 onwards.

It has prompted the council to join a pool of Lancashire authorities which maximises the amount of business rates income kept by district councils. Coun Buckley added: “The regulation means that while we can retain a greater share of rates if there is growth, we will not benefit from any top-up payment from Whitehall if the opposite happens. Anticipating growth for next year has led the committee to decide to enter the pool for 2017-18, after which it will be reviewed.”