by Graham Tutthill

A petition has been created to call for the exemption on business rates for the empty Burlington House office block in Dover to be removed.

The aim is to persuade the owners to either sell the building or demolish it.

The petition has been submitted by Peter Garstin who runs Blake’s restaurant in Castle Street, Dover. It has been set up on the Number 10 website and is calling for the Prime Minister to take action.

"Burlington House is Dover’s worst eyesore and stands in the way of a major town centre regeneration project," said Mr Garstin.

"Its owners currently enjoy a 100 per cent exemption for business rates on the grounds that it is unfit for occupation and is therefore deemed to have been demolished. However it still stands.

"We ask the Government, through the Valuation Office Agency, to remove this exemption until such time as the building has actually been demolished, and to assess the site owners for business rates until such time as demolition has been completed."

Among those who have signed the petition is district councillor and former Dover Business Support Manager Roger Walkden.

He said: "The argument is that if the owners of Burlington House have to start paying business rates, they might start co-operating with the Dover Town Investment Zone development process or even demolish it themselves. This is one petition that could make a difference to Dover."

The petition is at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/BurlingtonHouse