MP raises Feel Good Cafe 'unfair competition' in Parliament

Feel Good Cafe

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk has raised in Parliament the issue of Rochdale Council using council tax money to subsidise 100% business rate relief for the Feel Good Cafe. Mr Danczuk told MPs the rate relief amounts to "unfair competition". He asked Conservative MP Nick De Bois whether it was reasonable. Mr De Bois answered it was not.

Rochdale Online revealed last month that the cafe, run by Rochdale Town Centre Management Company, has been awarded a 100 per cent exemption by Rochdale Council on the £30,000 business rates bill.

Mr Danczuk has already written to the leader of Rochdale Council, Councillor Colin Lambert, after traders went to see him to complain about the business rates exemption, arguing that it was unfair and insulting.

Mr Danczuk said: “I’m all for competition but we have to have a level playing field and it doesn’t seem right that taxpayers should be funding Town Centre Management cafes that could force private businesses to close. This is creating a lot of ill-feeling in the town and I’m not happy about it.”

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/83832/cafe-wars-break-out-over-council-%E2%80%98favouritism%E2%80%99