Arcadia owner Sir Philip Green described the planned rise as “punitive” and Kingfisher chief executive Ian Cheshire labelled it “completely inappropriate”.
April’s rise in the Uniform Business Rate will be the highest since 1992, saddling retailers with tens of millions of pounds of extra costs during one of the toughest trading periods in memory.
The change is one of several, including a property rating revaluation next year, which has prompted concern among store chiefs.
Green, who is urgently seeking a meeting with Local Government Minister John Healey on the matter, told the Daily Telegraph: “I am quite shocked that the minister would look to impose what I believe would be punitive charges on retailers at this very sensitive time.”
Cheshire said that an increase would ultimately be paid for by shoppers and retailers are being targeted for cash raising because the sector is less vote-dependent than manufacturing or banks.
He said: “If you are a car maker you are receiving money and if you are a retailer you are paying for it. It is a painless way for [the Government] to raise money.”
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