Tens of thousands of pounds of business rates are being lost each year from a huge hole in Tavistock’s high street, claims a West Devon councillor.

The former Woolworths store in Brook Street which later became a fashion store and shoe shop was demolished in 2021.

It was set to be redeveloped into new retail premises but three years later the rubble remains with hoarding covered with bright posters shielding shoppers from the building site.

West Devon Borough Council is looking into the issue after Cllr Robert Oxborough (Ind, Mary Tavy) highlighted the gap in the high street and the impact on business rates at the recent audit and governance meeting.

Whilst empty shop premises are still liable for business rates, once a site is demolished, developers can apply to the valuation office to be taken out of the rating list.

He was told that this was something that was out of the hands of the borough council, who collect business rates and keep a portion of them to fund local services. 

Cllr Oxborough said he feared that it was a mechanism that developers were “cunningly using not to pay for a period of time”.

“It is our decision whether or not we allow someone to knock something down pending rebuilding,” he said.

“And we are not putting conditions in place that move that process along. We have a reduction in the share of the income from a premise which was substantial in the high street.

“That has been a sore on the high street for some years now, nothing has happened there. I don’t think the developers have any intention of doing anything there because there is a surplus of vacant units in the high street

“The moment they start building, they will start paying business rates on it. I think we have missed a trick.”

The council’s head of finance Lisa Buckle said if members were concerned about any premises, they could be referred to the authority’s revenue and benefits department to take a further look.

Mayor of Tavistock, Steve Hipsey, who is also a director of the business improvement district (BID), said this very visible gap in the high street was a major concern as was other businesses moving from Brook Street.

“It’s a worry, but it’s a worry we can’t do anything about if the land is in the hands of private landlords,” he said.

He added that the site also fronted the river on the other side and was an important area of the town.

The developers are being sought for comment.