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Mark Coote with Matt Birch (far right) and local businessman and Borough Councillor Tim Cooper (left) outside the Brown Jug in Bath Road
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Mark Coote has offered his support to Bath Road Traders at their monthly meeting of the Traders Association, convened by Matth Birch from the Brown Jug. The campaign to 'Save Our Small Shops' was unveiled to traders which Mark and Jacky Fletcher hopes will encourage greater footfall over the busy pre-Christmas period.
Mark said, "I have a particular fondness for the Bath Road shops. My first ever weekend job was as a paper-boy for a Bath Road newsagents called Leat & Son, and later a Saturday boy at what was Fine Fare."
"Bath Road offers a superb collection of local shopping services and many of the existing stores have a long history, some as far back as 1842. We are lucky to have what must be one of the best out-of-centre shopping parades in the South West."
Acknowledging the current economic difficulties, Mark said that Bath Road traders would need as much support as could be mustered, and was pleased that Graham Philpot from Cheltenham Borough Council's Business Pride had come along to the meeting.
In announcing the Save Our Small Shops campaign, which has galvanised many traders and shoppers throughout the town to sign a petition calling for a Retail Champion for small shops, he mentioned the importance of the Small Business Rate Relief, and hoped that as many eligible shops as possible would apply for rebates. The scheme, which came in to effect on 1st April 2005, is funded by a supplement on the rate bills of larger business ratepayers and is specifically designed for smaller shops.
Click here to learn more about the Small Business Rate Relief.
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