TRADERS in one half of a main Aberystwyth shopping street face paying higher business rates than those in the other half of the road, it was been warned.

While traders on one half of Chalybeate Street – the section of the road from its junctions with Great Darkgate Street and Cambrian Place – are going to be hit with rising business rates, traders on the other section of the same road towards the Mill Street roundabout are likely to have lower rates.

Polly Leonard, who runs three shops on the stretch of Chalybeate Street which will be affected by rising bills, said the difference in bills was also likely to see the three shops miss out on business rate relief announced by the Welsh Government, something that could jeopardise smaller shops.

She said: “I looked at the rates in town when they changed and it seems the vast majority have all gone down, apart from the odd rare exception.

“However, there’s a section of Chalybeate Street, between Great Darkgate Street and Cambrian Place, where they have all significantly gone up, which affects our three Polly’s, but not from the Hot Bread Shop down to the roundabout."

See this week’s south editions for the full story, in shops and online on Wednesday