Small businesses call on Parliament

4:21pm Monday 7th April 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

Representatives of Essex's small businesses descended on Parliament to kick-start a campaign to prevent the closure of small shops.

About 14 members of the Essex branch of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) joined nearly 200 colleagues from branches across the country to lobby the Government to Keep Trade Local.

The group claimed that, nationwide, 50,000 small shops could close by 2015.

The year-long campaign aims to encourage the Government to take a series of measures, including making planning regulations fairer to small businesses, ending anti-competitive practices and establishing an independent group to oversee retail development.

Bill Pirie, Essex chairman of the FSB, said: "Every small shop that closes down has an effect on our local economy because there is less money coming into it.

"The lifeblood is being drained from our high streets and rural areas and it has to stop."

Essex is home to more than 60,000 VAT-registered small shops and businesses and there are thousands more which fall under the VAT threshold, he said.

North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin and Braintree MP Brooks Newmark have already backed the campaign.

Essex FSB representative Ian Cass, who attended the launch, said small businesses cannot compete with supermarkets who sell products at cut price, or the high rents required for prime position in town centre high streets.

The FSB is also supporting the Retail Development Bill which proposes a business rates review and introducing three classes of shops based on turnover and floor space.

Supporters are urged to sign a petition on the website at Number 10 Downing Street at petitions.pm.gov.uk/keeptradelocal/