The Oswestry Advertizer’s campaign to reduce business rates is making its way to Downing Street this week after winning the support of county councillors.


After presenting our cause to Shropshire Council on Thursday, members agreed to add their support by calling on Prime Minister David Cameron and the Coalition Government, who set the business rates, to act on the proposal and save dying town centres.
 

Councillors agreed that the issue was prominent not only in Oswestry, which last week we revealed has more than 50 vacant premises, but also across the county, adding that they felt something must be done before it was too late.
And they also suggested contacting Business Secretary Vince Cable following his Shropshire visit last year in a bid to bolster their Westminster call.
 

Councillor for Oswestry East, Martin Bennett, said: “We must urge the Government to take action. If we want to encourage enterprise and trade, businesses need less taxation, not more. Let’s try to get a little bit of logic and a little bit of common sense.”
Fellow member for Clun, Nigel Hartin agreed, calling on the Business Secretary to get involved.
 

He commented: “The council should support this. This is an opportunity to remind Vince Cable of his visit and is something he could take forward [to the Coalition Government] and look at business rates.”
 

Even Councillor Rosanna Taylor-Smith, who represents Ludlow North, added her voice, telling members: “Ludlow luckily does not have the same problem, we just have one or two empty shops, but it is a very important that we support.”


While Oswestry West representative, Councillor Vince Hunt, suggested lobbying “hard” the county’s MPs to get their assistance in Westminster, as well as trying to change people’s mindset to move them away from internet shopping and rebuilding footfall in town centres.
 

Following the meeting, Advertizer editor, Susan Perry, who had described the decimation of the town centre as “heartbreaking”, said: “We are extremely grateful that Shropshire Council has given its backing to our campaign which not will not only help Oswestry but other market towns in Shropshire that are currently struggling.
“We now hope the Prime Minister will give our views his serious consideration."
 

So far our petition has gained over 2,200 signatures and will continue to appear in the Advertizer, plus local shops, Gooseberry Boutique, Sound As A Pound, Lawrences Direct, N. Lloyd-Thomas & Sons Opticians and Paperwrite, with town councillor Margaret Chamberlain heading around the town looking for further support.