Save Our Small Shops is an independent, non-party political campaign led by town centre resident and Cheltenham’s Conservative Party Candidate Mark Coote and former town Mayor Councillor Jacky Fletcher, who has supported small businesses for most of her life. Mark's personal website is www.markcoote.co.uk if you want to find out more.
Jackie Fletcher says of the Save Our Small Shops campaign, "Cheltenham is a place with many individual shops which makes it special and we need to keep them. I want to see these shops thrive and flourish without the influences of the 'big boys' taking over. More must be done to encourage them; legislation is a minefield and must be simplified, and business rates need to be reduced. At the end of the day with these shops you have a personal service where you can seek advice, there is a friendly smile and you are welcomed."
Mark Coote says, "We all have memories of long-established local shops coming to the end of the road and it’s always saddening. I don’t want us to become just like every other town with uniform shops and cloned shopping areas, with individual enterprises being squeezed out of business."
"People I meet say they are concerned that supermarkets and out-of-town retailers are draining the life blood from the high street and our community shopping areas. The internet is playing its part, too. I am concerned about community decline and what that can mean for our quality of life," Mark says.
Town Centre Manager, Martin Quantock from the Cheltenham Business Partnership has given his endorsement of the campaign saying, “Cheltenham needs national shops, a town without them misses out on national offerings but, the shops that make Cheltenham what it is are the independent retailers. It is these shops that provide distinct retail options for local people. These shops make the difference and stop Cheltenham from becoming like any other town centres. We are lucky to have these small retailers and it is in all of our interests to encourage their use. There are already a number of organisations and people working to promote independent retailers and businesses in and around Cheltenham and I welcome this additional support."
