A businessman is accusing South Oxfordshire District Council of killing off traders by forcing through crippling rent hikes.

He claims businesses are already suffering and are unable to bear the burden of rising, back-dated ground rents.

Howard Brett, managing director of Haynes Bros Auto Electrical Engineers, Wallingford, said he was determined to fight the charges.

He told the Oxford Mail: "The council is not helping local businesses at all. A number of people have had to shut up shop because of high rents. Now it is trying to back-charge us to 1992 and we are not prepared."

Mr Brett, who took over the unit on the Wallingford's Station Road Industrial Estate in 1994, claims the council has increased his ground rent by almost 66 per cent this year and is back-charging him for increases of approximately 33 per cent dating back to 1992.

"If the council wants businesses to stay in the area it has got to give them rents they can afford. It is killing business and the town is dying on its feet through astronomical rate and rent increases. If you count the number of shops in Wallingford that have closed it is already shocking, and it is just making life difficult."

"We are effectively on a ghost estate. Who is going to take these empty units on? They are too expensive, and no business starting up stands a hope in hell's chance of becoming anywhere near viable if the rents are so dramatically high."

He added: "I accept it may want to increase my ground rent, but it needs to be in line with inflation and I want something for it. This piece of dirt hasn't changed since 1961 and nor have the amenities." Valerie Wolsey, of Wallingford Business 2000, said: "In order for people to have healthy businesses we have got to see rent reductions, not increases, otherwise the town will become a ghost town. If the district council goes on having rent and rate increases we are going to lose many businesses and people will not want to open up in the town."

Shirley Sanchez, manager of South Oxfordshire District Council's estates team, said: "Every rent review is dealt with on its merits and the back-dating of rent depends on the terms of an individual lease."

She added: "We have ground rents a fraction of those that would be set by the private sector. The council is continually seeking to encourage local business while someone in the commercial sector might be charged more."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.