As the summer holiday season rolls on I know that up and down the country district council officers and members are busy starting to shape their responses to the ‘100% business rates retention' and ‘Need and redistribution' consultations.

I have been lucky enough to be part of the Local Government Association/Department for Communities and Local Government steering group for business rates and I think it has been positive to see government and representatives of the sector work so closely together. I do think, however, that it is important the sector establishes a key set of principles that it wants to see from any new system. We must avoid just tinkering around the edges of the existing one.