He told the Daily Post: Theres lots of empty property across the city thats not being used that I would like to see being used.

There should be more incentives offered if a propertys empty for a long time. Lets have a business-friendly city and work with Government to offer bigger rent relief than they are now.

Lets start a campaign.

Commercial property owners are victims of measures bought in by Chancellor Alistair Darling that scrapped relief from property tax for vacant lots.

Before April, 2008, industrial landlords paid zero tax as soon as their tenants left. Offices and shops got a 50% reduction after being empty for three months.

But now owners of empty offices and shops pay full property tax after just a three month holiday. Industrial landlords get a six month break but then also get stung for full taxes.

Empty properties with a Rateable Value of less than s15,000 do not get hit for any tax.

Ann Lodge, joint chief executive of Downing, which owns, among others, The Capital on Old Hall Street, said: Empty rates tax is totally out of sync with the realities of the property market and is hampering investment in regeneration. In the current climate the Government should be doing all it can to help kick start the economy not causing businesses further financial strain.

We have always maintained that it is a tax on regeneration.

THE information on  empty commercial  properties was  released by  Merseyside councils  under the Freedom  of Information  (FOI) Act.
 Natalie Davis, a  member of the  public, used the FOI   website www.whatdotheyknow.com  to process her  requests. All the  raw data can be  found at http://bit.ly/emptyproperties