£125,000 business rate relief for Flannels opening

Fashion chain Flannels, owned by billionaire Sport Direct owner Mike Ashley, has been given £125,000 in business rate relief by Doncaster Council amid fears that the former pub and nightclub building it developed into the shop would be left derelict.

The council agreed to funding Flannels’ over the derelict site on Priory Walk in the town centre, which used to be a Walkabout bar. Flannels bought the empty property in 2016 but work to transform the building into a shop was stopped by Ashley’s head of property acquisition, who said the premises were unusable and not liable to pay any business rates.

In an effort to restart work on the development and prevent the site from remaining derelict, the local council offered “support” via a business rates lump sum.

“If we are unable to support this investment the unit will remain empty and the area, in general, will continue to look undesirable to new investors,” Doncaster Council stated.

The site then opened in October.

Council documents said: “If we are unable to support this investment the unit will remain empty and the area, in general, will continue to look undesirable to new investors.”

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