By bizn_fun 
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said the current business rates system “is not fit for purpose”.
Helen Dickinson, the BRC’s chief executive, said: “This latest announcement looks like another sticking plaster on a broken system rather than the more fundamental reform required.”
Jon Collins, chief executive of music venue body LIVE, said: “If the government is preparing a U-turn on business rates for pubs, it must not leave live events and arenas behind.”
The National Pharmacy Association chief executive Henry Gregg said the sector could face a 140% increase in rates, while the lobby group for gyms, pools and leisure centres said those businesses faced potential rate increases of 60%.
“Failure to provide a business rates support package to gyms, pools and leisure centres will lead to higher prices, reduced services, redundancies and in some cases the loss of gyms from our communities,” chief executive of ukactive Huw Edwards said.
Some of those lobby group concerns were echoed by MPs.
“Venues, clubs and cinemas up and down the country are already struggling for survival,” Conservative MP Dame Caroline Dinenage wrote to the chancellor on Thursday.
She said the planned rates reforms risk “pushing many over the edge”.
“The Treasury needs to be open about how it decided on the changes, while the sector desperately needs more details on the alternative support promised by the Prime Minister.”
Reeves said earlier this week that the government had reduced the rate of tax on pubs and hospitality, but the Independent Valuation Office increased what they saw as the value of those properties.
“Now we’re working with the sector to look at the implications of a range of policies and looking at planning and licensing,” she said in an interview with Good Morning Britain.
“I want to support our pubs; I want to support our high streets. That’s why we made the change to the rates. But I recognise that many paths are still struggling and we’re working with them.”