RATES for unused commercial buildings must be reduced to prevent wholesale demolition of industrial sites across the region, estate agents have said.

The Northern Echo Property Forum heard that across Darlington alone there had been half a million square feet of commercial space demolished recently as businesses struggled to pay rates on unused space.

The estate agents who attended the meeting have said that the rates needed to be cut.

Julie Wallin, from Nick Carver estate agents, said: “It’s crippling a lot of people. Certainly properties have been demolished and this has been instigated by the empty building tax.”

David Jackson, from Sanderson Weatherall, pointed to a number of companies in Darlington that have demolished buildings because of the rates they were paying.

These included the Evans Halshaw garage on St Cuthbert’s Way, and SEN Packaging at Faverdale. Mr Jackson said: “Landlords are desperate to do deals because they need to dispose of the burden that they’ve got. This is a huge issue.

“There’s been about half a million square feet of industrial space demolished in Darlington alone and that’s just down to the rates’ liability.”

The forum chairman, Tim Haggie, of Darlington solicitors Latimer Hinks, said rates needed to be cut for unoccupied properties with a longer grace period before rates had to be paid.

He added: “There’s been examples of some perfectly good buildings being knocked down because there’s no immediate demand.”