Appeal for action to save local area's small traders

Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset have urged the local authority to do more to support small and rural businesses, warning that current policies are pushing many to the brink.

- Lewis Clarke

The political group, Independents for B&NES, is calling for a raft of measures they say will protect the “backbone” of local communities, including scrapping parking charges in small-town centres, offering grants to offset energy bills, and introducing greater rate relief.

Group leader councillor Karen Walker, who represents Peasedown, said: “More and more we're seeing small businesses close and empty shops appear. Small and rural businesses are often the backbone of many of our local communities which our residents so heavily rely on.

“Independent councillors have written to the leader of the council asking for a number of policies to be implemented which, we believe, will have a positive impact not only for local businesses, but for the wider economy too.”