Wirral traders’ fury at ‘pay to display’ charges

Sep 9 2009 by Carrie Catterall, Birkenhead News

Traders’ fury at ‘pay to display’ charges

SHOPKEEPERS are set to start a petition against Wirral Council who are charging them to put up A boards and signs in the street.

The new conditions and charges apply to all businesses who use A boards, signs or external shop displays to advertise their business.

From now on shop and business owners wanting to display A boards must pay £50 for the first year and then £40 for every subsequent year.

For those wanting a shop display licence, which allows displays to take up a maximum of five square meters outside their business, shopkeepers must pay £75 for the first year and £60 for every subsequent year.

These charges have particularly angered business owners in Banks Road, West Kirby, who have advertised their businesses with shop displays and A boards for years without having to pay a charge.

A group of business owners in the area now say they will be forming a petition against the council.

Tony Dangerfield, owner of Waverly newsagents, West Kirby, has had to apply for a shop display licence.

He said: “I don’t look at this as a licence fee but as another form of tax on small businesses.

“We work to a budget so every additional cost thrown on us in these times has to be recovered from somewhere else and labour is our only flexible cost.”

Another Banks Road businessman said: “I think this is absolutely dreadful.

“We are in the middle of a credit crunch, so surely the council should be helping us out not putting more pressure on us.”