A BUSINESS leader is calling on the Government to offer more affordable rates for high street retailers after nearly a dozen shops closed their doors in Barrow town centre. Colin Garnett, manager of Barrow’s Business Improvement District (BID), has urged the Government to initiate a full rate review of high street premises to make them more affordable to independent traders. Business rates are charged on most non-domestic properties, like: shops, offices, pubs, warehouses, factories and holiday rental homes or guest houses Some businesses are able to get business rates relief from their local council to reduce their bill. The call for reduced business rates comes after nearly a dozen town centre businesses closed their doors in the past twelve months. These include: Marks and Spencer, Brighthouse, Carphone Warehouse, Thorntons, River Island, Topshop, Lakeland Dry Cleaners, Barnhouse Interiors and Debenhams Cafe. M&S was the first to announce its closure last year after it was named as one of a 100 stores earmarked for closure by 2022. The store was initially set to close in November 2019 to coincide with the opening of a new M&S foodhall at the Beehive site in Ulverston. Colin Garnett said towns across the UK will suffer if the Government does not begin to offer more affordable rates to high street premises. He said: “The Government really need to have a full rate review to make ‘high street’ premises more affordable to independent traders, otherwise towns across the UK will suffer from a high rate of vacant properties within their retail core area. "Barrow BID is continuing to work with public and private partners to regenerate and transform Barrow town centre.” Calls have been made to help save Barrow high street since increasing numbers of shops began to close. Simon Fell, MP for Barrow and Furness, said if the town can secure government investment in the Towns Deal and Future High Street Fund there will be ‘real improvements’ in the high street.