Retail Tories call for mayor to act to save local shops

COUNCILLORS are calling on Bristol to do more to save local shops and high streets. The Conservative group has launched a campaign to lobby Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees to spend more money on making local shops more attractive to residents. High-street shops across the country have faced great difficulties in the past decade due to the increase of online shopping and large out of town shopping malls. One study found the UK is losing an average of 16 high-street shops per day and an estimated 50,000 jobs have been lost between January and June alone. While Conservative councillor for Stockwood Graham Morris recognises the council cannot turn the tide completely, he believes there are several measures the authority can take to boost local precincts and shopping centres including Brislington Hill, Stockwood Shops, Gilda Parade and Shirehampton Road. Mr Morris says the council should invest in better amenities for the areas including CCTV coverage, reducing parking charges near shops, and offering incentives to people who shop locally. “There are real measures that Bristol City Council can do to help struggling retailers and small businesses on our struggling high streets,” he said. “Mayor Rees should be intervening to invest in satellite shopping centres around the city. Not only would such action reduce travel, thereby cutting potential congestion and pollution but also revive areas which have suffered from decades of neglect. “If politicians are to have any chance of reversing the current shopping trend, the Mayor must also look again at the council’s parking strategy because, like it or loathe it, many people have to rely on their car to do their weekly shop.” Mr Morris also believes central government need to look again at how local authorities collect business rates. At the moment business rates are compiled based on ‘rateable value’ which is largely associated with how much the business property can be rented for on the open market. In comparison, Mr Morris believes the profit or turnover of the business should be taken in to consideration when business rates are calculated. Bristol is one of a dozen UK cities taking part in a central government scheme which sees it keep all of the business rates collected rather than giving them to central government to be redistributed. Mr Morris has put forward a motion for the authority to invest more in local shopping centres at the full council meeting today. It is unlikely the topic will be discussed due to the one hour time limit for debates.