Protect amenities which are at heart of our community (From Gazette Series)

Protect amenities which are at heart of our community

LOCAL small shops are at the very heart of our community here in Stroud constituency where they provide a diverse range of goods and services to local people, especially the elderly and those without their own transport.

These shops are also an integral part of our community because they recycle profits back into the local economy by providing job opportunities and purchasing goods from other small businesses in the area. Since 1997 over 20,00 specialist shops have closed including bakeries, butchers and corner shops; this is equivalent to 50 per week. It is vital therefore that action is taken to prevent any more having to permanently shut up shop.

This is why I am supporting a Liberal Democrat sponsored Bill recently introduced in Parliament that would help to protect the long-term viability of local shops within the constituency.

The proposed law would give the community the final word on whether to allow the construction of large shopping developments exceeding a certain size and would require local authorities to track local spending and favour those retailers whose businesses leave more money re-circulating in the local economy.

The Bill would also provide more generous rate relief to small shops to redress the disproportionate load that business rates and other administrative burdens place upon them compared with larger shops.

Dr Peter Hirst Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Stroud The Liberal Rooms Parsonage Street Dursley