EAST Lancashire village shops could rip out cash machines to avoid the imposition of new business rates on the holes in the wall, Jake Berry MP warned a Government minister.

The Rossendale and Darwen Tory staged a Westminster debate on changes to the Valuation Office Agency’s interpretation of the rules on the charge.

He also raised the case of Goodshaw Fold resident Alan Walker whose domestic stables were suddenly assessed for non-domestic rates of £1,500 a year after a visit by a VOA official earlier this year.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Mr Berry told local government minister Marcus Jones: “Over recent years, rural areas have lost hundreds of banks.

“It has meant that, for many people, the ATM at the village shop or post office is their last access to cash.

“In the past five years, the number of ATMs liable to business rates has risen from about 3,000 to over 12,000.

“Each through-wall ATM that is liable to business rates has an average charge of £3,600.

“Major supermarkets may be able to absorb such costs, but a small village store or post office will not.

“Cash machine operators have warned the attachment of business rates to through-wall ATMs makes them uneconomic, particularly in rural areas.

“They have estimated that 1,000 existing ATMs are at risk.

“An additional danger for our village shop, post office or former bank is that many of the small businesses in the village will do the majority of their transactions in cash.

“If people’s access to cash is suddenly a car or bus journey away, some of our most vulnerable rural residents will do their shopping outside the village.”

On Mr Walker’s stables, Mr Berry said: “It is bizarre to be applying business rates to areas of people’s houses where they keep their pets.”

Mr Jones promised to look into the issues raised.

He said: “ I am more than willing to make further inquiries and respond in writing.

“It is for the VOA to decide whether an ATM should be separately assessed for business rates.”