TRADERS in Oxford have welcomed Chancellor Philip Hammond’s pledge to consider an ‘Amazon tax’ on online sales to help combat the death of the high street.

He made the pledge to ‘rebalance the playing field’ and look at temporary tax measures after the House of Fraser department store chain went into administration.

Last month traders’ group ROX - Promoting Oxford Business wrote to Business Secretary Greg Clark urging him to conduct a review of business rates in the hope they would be reduced.

The group warned that a growing number of empty shops could have a ‘devastating effect’ on a historic city like Oxford.

The organisation represents hundreds of businesses including the retail, restaurant and hotel sectors and architects, chartered accountants and surveyors.

ROX member Graham Jones said he was pleased the Chancellor has made the pledge as some high street businesses are suffering as a result of online competition.

He added: “I welcome this because there is a clear need to create a level playing field - high street retailers have to pay a lot more in business rates.

“This would be step in the right direction but we don’t have any information about how soon something like this could be brought in - perhaps it will be announced in a forthcoming budget.”

Major chains have shut stores and cut jobs this year, including Mothercare, which has announced its Oxford Retail park store in Cowley will close permanently on September 23.