17 April 2008, 15:48 PM
  • The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has launched a Small Business Manifesto to champion small businesses ahead of local elections in England on 1st May.

The UK’s biggest business organisation will focus its local election lobbying on the campaign to Keep Trade Local, which seeks to protect small businesses from unfair planning laws, draconian parking restrictions in town centres and the breakdown of local economies.
 
The Small Business Manifesto also has detailed proposals for local government on small business issues including: Finance, Procurement, Regulation, Transport, Crime and Planning.
 
Roger Culcheth, FSB local Government chairman, said, “Small businesses are the backbone of local communities and it is about time local councils recognised this in their policies.
 
“Planning decisions that benefit supermarkets and out-of-town retail parks, draconian town centre parking restrictions and the closure of 1000s of post offices are contributing to the death of over 2,000 small shops every year.
 
“We believe local Government in England could be doing much more to safeguard the future of small businesses. The local elections on May 1 offer a perfect opportunity for prospective councillors to demonstrate they are serious about the future of their local communities.”