Ban Box Shifting

Siân Berry AM proposed, and Leónie Cooper AM seconded the following motion:

“This Assembly notes that:

•    business rates evasion and avoidance, exemplified by tactics such as ‘box shifting’, costs councils in England and Wales an estimated £250 million annually while preventing space from being used productively. 

•    the practice of box shifting is used by some landlords to claim three months’ empty rates relief after simply putting boxes in an empty commercial space and declaring it occupied for six weeks. 

•    ending this practice will not only allow councils to collect more business rates, but will also support ethical rates mitigation options, such as offering rent-free spaces to charities and community organisations.

•    Scotland and Wales have already passed legislation to address this issue, and the Government has recently conducted a consultation into business rates avoidance and evasion with the results yet to be published. 

•    Between 2019 and 2021, London saw a 2.4 percentage point rise in empty shop and leisure units from 8.3 to 10.7 per cent.

This Assembly therefore calls on the Chair of the Assembly and the Mayor of London to write to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to recommend it supports the demands of the Ban Box Shifting campaign.”

Following debate and upon being put to the vote, the motion in the name of Siân Berry AM, was agreed with 13 votes being cast in favour and 7 votes being cast against.