Liberal Democrats' plans to revitalise Britain's high streets and help small businesses
Nearly 19% vacancies in Stourbridge Town Centre
What is Conservative Dudley Council up to?
Stourbridge Liberal Democrats have welcomed publication yesterday of the Liberal Democrats' national policy document "Vibrant local high streets".
Research by the Local Data Company (LDC) shows that high street vacancies were continuing to rise in the second half of 2009. Vacancies in Stourbridge Town Centre were 18.7%. In the whole of the West Midlands, only Wolverhampton presented a more dismal picture.
Chris Bramall, prospective Parliamentary candidate for Stourbridge, said:
"The decline of the High Street is a huge issue for Stourbridge folk. Stourbridge needs a thriving Town Centre with real character that allows local businesses to survive and grow.
"The financial crisis has exposed Labour and the Conservatives' folly of being entirely dependent on the City of London. The Liberal Democrats understand that it is small businesses that are the key to building a healthy and balanced economy. The LibDems' national plans are a welcome breath of fresh air - Britain desperately needs some positive new thinking.
"Meanwhile Conservative Dudley Council is about to cut one of its Town Centre managers. What an extraordinarily bad idea!"
LibDem leader Nick Clegg commented:
"Thriving high streets are at the heart of local communities. But it has been our high streets that have borne the brunt of this recession, with boarded up shops scarring towns and villages across Britain. I believe that people value the wide range of goods and services available locally and want to see their high streets thrive and prosper."
Chris Bramall
prospective parliamentary candidate
Stourbridge
[For details see over]
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Published and promoted by Simon Hanson on behalf of the Stourbridge Liberal Democrats,
both at 53 Chawn Hill, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY9 7JA
Some details of national LibDem policy document "VIBRANT LOCAL HIGH STREETS":
1. The document includes proposals to
• reform business rates; at present small businesses pay about 4 times more as a proportion of turnover than large businesses - this is a huge unfair burden on small shops;
• reverse the Labour Government's increase in National Insurance as soon as possible - it is a tax on jobs and a tax on enterprise;
• ensure a long-term future for the Post office; for instance, 30% of parcel deliveries fail on the first attempt and people have to make inconvenient journeys to centralised depots to collect - agreements should be encouraged for the Post Office to take on the role of collection point for all failed deliveries, bringing people into the Town Centre.
• provide fair access to credit by getting banks to lend again, and setting up Local enterprise Funds and Regional Stock Exchanges;
• encourage fair, sustainable retail development; planning and competition law need changing to ensure a fairer local balance between local independent stores and large supermarkets.
2. A copy of "Vibrant Local High Streets" is attached.
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Published and promoted by Simon Hanson on behalf of the Stourbridge Liberal Democrats,
both at 53 Chawn Hill, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY9 7JA