Council leader’s call to help local traders

Small firms have helped in lockdown

RETAIL: The leader of North Yorkshire County Council has urged the public to change their consumer habits and ensure independent traders who have provided a lifeline for isolated communities can prosper.

The authority is spearheading a drive to highlight the work of hundreds of independent businesses.

THE LEADER of a Yorkshire council has urged the public to change their consumer habits and ensure that a wealth of independent traders who have provided a lifeline for isolated communities can prosper in the future.

North Yorkshire County Council is spearheading a drive to highlight the work of hundreds of independent businesses which have provided vital services throughout the coronavirus lockdown.

Nearly 600 traders have signed up to the online initiative, dubbed Buy Local, to provide customers with a virtual marketplace for services and supplies.

Small independent firms have proved to be vital during the pandemic across the nation, but their importance has been heightened in North Yorkshire.

England’s largest county is home to some of the country’s most isolated communities, and the Buy Local scheme has been integral to ensuring that food and other essential supplies reach deeply rural settlements.

The leader of the county council, Coun Carl Les, said: “North Yorkshire is England’s largest county, rich in rural areas and market towns and villages with a wealth of local producers and suppliers and tradespeople and independent start-ups.

“During the lockdown, some of these local businesses have come

into their own as people have turned to them to plug the gaps for their supplies and their needs.

“Many have also played a part in helping those who are shielded and isolated and been part of the great community fight against coronavirus as part of Team North Yorkshire.

“We want to support these businesses now and into the longer term with Buy Local so that they can help to help make this current preference for the local into an enduring part of people’s long-term choices.

“We hope Buy Local will help businesses remain resilient at the present time, but also help them to develop a key role in serving North Yorkshire’s communities into the future.”

The Buy Local site includes businesses and tradespeople eligible to operate during the Covid-19 outbreak, from plumbers to food shops to solicitors, and customers.

Among the businesses which have signed up to the site is Yorkshire Dales Meat, a catering butchers based in Patrick Brompton who have changed the way they work to meet demand during the pandemic.

“We are now doing door-step deliveries, which we have never done before, so that’s very different to what we were doing,” said managing director James Knox.

“We are getting repeat orders, which I think says it all really, doesn’t it?”

He added: “All the time we all looking at new avenues for how we can sell our product until the lockdown ends, but it is pretty tough, it’s hard work. We have to be proactive and look for business.”

More details on the Buy Local scheme are available at www. northyorks.gov.uk/buy-local

We want to support these businesses now and into the longer term.

Carl Les, North Yorkshire County Council leader.