How a Calderdale Council scheme is helping business start-ups thrive and expand

Calderdale Council’s Business Rates Discount Scheme enables businesses and developers to invest in the construction of new employment space.

The scheme gives a one-year, 100% discount on new business rates resulting from new or improved employment floor space.

It also encourages the improvement of existing floor space by discounting any extra business rates due to improvement, for a year.

The latest company to benefit is S&P Shot Blasting & Powder Coating of Shelf Mills, Halifax.

Peter and Beverly Jenkinson established the family business in 2004, to offer metal treatment and coating services with a quick turnaround.

As the business grew, Peter and Beverly took on their son-in-law, Michael Horrocks, who was appointed as Company Director in 2017.

The company now employs 11 people but all the family are still hands-on, either with the day-to-day processes, keeping the books or making new powder coating ovens.

Demand for S&P’s services has increased, but expansion of the business has been restricted by the size of its premises.

The business’s landlord, Hillcrest Ltd, was considering building new business units on the Shelf Mills site, and contacted Calderdale Council about the support available to reduce development risk.

The Council helped by offering a 100% Business Rates Discount on all of the new units for 12 months after completion.

Michael Horrocks, S&P’s Director, is delighted to receive the discount. He said:“This is brilliant news. With this assistance in place we can go ahead with our plans for more capacity and new bead-blasting services without the financial impact of higher rates. The expansion, now without over straining our cash flow, should lead to at least another five jobs for local people, if not more.”

This increased the landlord’s confidence in letting the units, so construction began and S&P subsequently committed to taking on several of the new units, with the Business Rates Discount reducing financial strain during this period of business growth.

Councillor Barry Collins, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Strategy, said: “As part of our regeneration projects across the borough, we work with landowners, private developers and businesses to help encourage new development.

"Thanks to this partnership, empty and unused sites are being transformed into business units to house growing firms, attract new businesses and create new jobs. This boosts our economy and makes Calderdale an even more attractive place to invest.”