Delays force nursery to postpone repairs

NURSERY owner Sharon Fairlie has had to postpone repairs to her two buildings because of the uncertainty over her business rates bill.

She saw rates for her Ingliston Road Little Flyers nursery rise by 154 per cent in April, to 2808, while her Broxburn facility saw its bill triple.

She launched appeals earlier this year and wants to avoid passing on costs to parents while she waits to see if her appeals are successful - but that could prove difficult.

"We've got repairs on the building that have had to be put on hold," she said.

"There is a lot of hardship for parents, too, at the moment and we do not want to put up fees if we can help it.

"I'm at a standstill because I should be putting up fees but I know the position parents are in."

Faced with the prospect of waiting until as late as 2013 to hear the outcome of her appeal, she said: "There is nothing we can do; it's in their hands now but in the meantime I can't go ahead and make plans that I can't pay for."