MARCH | THE ANATOMY OF…
SME venues’ rate cut examined
The Government has committed to reducing business rates for small and medium-sized music venues
in England and Wales for the first time, thanks to campaigning from the Music Venue Trust. Access
delves into the figures behind the move
50%
A third of British venues outside London are fighting to survive in the
face of high business rates and noise restrictions, according to The
UK’s first live music census, published in February 2018
1/3
The 50% reduction available to smaller retailers will be
extended to 230 small and medium-sized music venues
£51,000
The venues must have a rateable value below
£51,000. Independent cinemas will also
benefit from the reduction.
£7,500
33%
Of almost 200 small music venues (with a capacity of up to 350
people) surveyed, 33% reported that increases in business rates had
an “extreme, strong or moderate” impact on their existence in the
past 12 months
The Music Venue Trust estimates that the move
will save each site an average of £7,500 a year
£1.7m
X4
35%
The last decade has seen 35%
of grassroots music venues One medium-sized venue
across England and Wales close (351–650 capacity) reported
their rateable value quadrupling
from £17,500 to £72,000
Business rates are by no means the only challenge facing the UK’s
music venues. In March 2019, the British music industry body that
20
The move is predicted to drive collects royalty payments for musicians said it planned to more than
more than £1.7m back into the double the rates paid by pubs, bars and nightclubs to play recorded
grassroots live music sector music.