Kate writes a bi-weekly column for the Burton Mail. This column was originally featured in the 18th May print edition.
New figures have revealed that there are 1.1 million more business in the UK since 2010 and a record number of businesses registered in the UK at the start of this year. This is welcome news and highlights the dividends of the Government’s efforts to stick to the plan and to make Britain the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
Our town centres are critical to the success of our local economy and to the creation of new businesses. Their health goes hand in hand with the prosperity, economic growth and job creation of our area.
The Government has supported businesses with the biggest tax cut in modern history and by providing further support with business rates, helping businesses to grow. The Chancellor has also frozen the small business multiplier again and extended Retail Hospitality and Leisure Relief for a year, which supports smaller businesses.
Sadly, locally, I have heard concerns from many of our independent shops and retailers since Labour-run East Staffordshire Borough Council increased parking charges last month by 35%. Coupled with the scrapping of the popular ‘free after 3pm’ scheme, this has created a deterrent for residents to visit our town centres and is having a detrimental impact on our shops and restaurants.
Business owners tell me that they have seen a noticeable drop in their takings as customers look to avoid the town centre after the enormous hike in parking charges. Myself and my Conservative colleagues on the Borough Council warned the administration that this would happen, but they pressed ahead anyway.
Thanks to the £22.8million I helped secure for Burton through the Towns Deal, we have an exciting future with the regeneration projects underway. But we must ensure we have businesses to help make this a success in reality, and support them with an environment that encourages investment. For the sake of our local businesses and town centres, the Labour-run Council must review their decision as a matter of urgency.
