Retailers across the Forest of Dean will be able to benefit from a discount to business rates.

Forest of Dean District Council have agreed to support a government scheme which will cut retailers' rates by a third, if they have a rateable value of £51,000 or less.

The council estimate that 128 businesses in the district will benefit from the discount, which was originally announced in the chancellor's Autumn statement in 2018.

The Deputy Leader of Forest of Dean Council and cabinet member for ginance, Cllr Roger James, says, "This government scheme has our full support."

"I am sure that the discount will be welcomed by many local retailers.

"This and other forms of relief are of direct benefit to the local economy and should help our high streets cope with the challenge of changing shopping trends posed by the Internet in particular."

The council will be sending confirmation about the discount to everyone who qualifies based on our current business rates records.

Further details will be published on the council's website within the next few weeks.

The approval comes just a day after a House of Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government report called for urgent action to avoid high streets from becoming 'ghost towns.'

That report called for a change to business rates and higher taxes for online retailers in order to "level the playing field."

Read more: Gloucestershire high streets are bucking the 'ghost town' trend