Businesses in Largs, Millport and West Kilbride stand to spend thousands of pounds extra in rates after a small business grant scheme was axed.

West Kilbride Councillor Joy Brahim is set to question North Ayrshire Council's Labour administration following the scrapping of the SNP Government's Small Business Bonus Scheme and other business rates reliefs.

Cllr Brahim pointed out that 3,040 properties across the district currently receive a value of £6 million in relief through the SNP Government's Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS).

In addition to that, there are a host of other reliefs businesses can benefit from, such as Day Nursery Relief, the Business Growth Accelerator and more.

However, she pointed out that Green, Labour and Tory MSPs on Holyrood's Local Government, Communities and Housing Committee recently passed an amendment to the Non-Domestic Rates Bill to devolve powers to set business rates to councils.

Cllr. Brahim said that this means the SNP Government's business rates reliefs would automatically end and, if North Ayrshire Council opted to set new reliefs, it would have to fund those itself.

Only the two SNP MSPs voted against the proposal, to protect businesses from losing out.

Cllr Brahim commented: "The fact that the Greens, Tories and Labour are happy for local authorities to take on a huge burden of financial responsibility right now either exposes their complaints about local government funding as disingenuous or - worse - they don't actually expect local authorities to make any replacement arrangements to help businesses survive.

"What does this mean for local businesses? Under the SNP Government's SBBS, a property in West Kilbride with a rateable value of £15,000 pays no rates. However, thanks to the Greens, Tories and Labour such a property will be subjected to 49 pence for every pound of rateable value: £7,350 a year.

"This is an enormous extra expense if you are trying to run a small business and I am deeply concerned at the consequences - as are the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland, the Scottish Retail Consortium, CBI Scotland, the Scottish Grocers Federation, the Association of Convenience Stores,the Scottish Tourism Alliance and the Scottish Beer & Pub Association.

"Given that Labour MSPs voted to saddle NAC with the choice to either start funding something the SNP Government is currently paying for or let local businesses down, I think business owners will want to know what the Labour administration is minded to do with the poisoned chalice their own colleagues have sent their way."