Steve Roberts, Thanet Green Party’s Parliamentary Candidate for East Thanet and a town councillor for Broadstairs:
I am a passionate supporter of local businesses and the thriving High Streets that make our towns great places to live.
Thriving high streets made up of independent businesses also attracts tourism which our economy depends on.
I learn so much from speaking to local business owners. Nadine owns and runs Bella’s, a cafe on Broadstairs High Street. Their ‘kids eat for one pound in school holidays’ offer prompted me to contact her.
Chatting away, I learned about the impact of road closures, especially when businesses are given short or no notice and when bus routes are impacted. Surely not all the digging we see by utility companies is an emergency and so unplanned? I also learned about a nearby underused car park and public toilets we can better publicise.
We got on to bank closures. Taking the day’s cash to a bank in the next town takes time and for a business owner time is money. NatWest has announced it will be closing the Ramsgate branch.
NatWest bosses argue lack of customers. You could argue that banks make huge profits. Some are partially owned by us after being bailed out in the financial crisis over 15 years ago. NatWest is 35% taxpayer-owned after its £45.5 billion bailout in the 2008-9 financial crisis. https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/natwest-reports-profit-beat-confirms-insider-thwaite-ceo-2024-02-16/
NatWest’s 2023 pretax profit was £6.2 billion, up 20% on 2022. NatWest has chosen profit over people and communities.
So, what can we do to save our High Streets and keep their local character? Business rates need a complete overhaul. That’s one for Westminster.
Making all online retailers pay their fair share of tax would create a level playing field: another one for Westminster. We do have a General Election this year so check the manifesto of each party. The Green Party of England and Wales is calling on the Government to offer a Small Business Saturday support package to help firms thrive in their green transition.
This includes reform of VAT to support small businesses and suspension of Covid repayments. The Green Party believes the Government must reform our VAT system so that it differentially supports smaller shops and businesses compared to larger ones and online businesses.
And what can we do individually? Shop local more often. Praise local businesses online and through word of mouth. And get talking to staff and owners. I did and I learnt so much. You can also support Save the High Street.
I honestly believe that High Streets with a larger elderly population – such as Birchington – thrive better than where there’s a younger and trendier population – such as Margate. We’re from the generation that didn’t expect to buy all our weekly shopping in one store, prefering individual butchers, bakers, greengrocers, etc. I’ve no idea how we can pursuade younger/lazier people to do that though!
Many younger people actually run and work in independent businesses in Margate/Thanet. And online shoppers for groceries are often not young. Lazy is a careless tagline to throw around without giving it much thought.
Yes, but not many “normal” shops. Margate can’t even sustain an independent greengrocers (there were at least three 20 years ago). All of our high streets – Birchington included – have reached satuation point for eateries.
Incidentally, I was recently in Shrewsbury. They have a huge indoor market on two levels (including two greengrocers, two butchers and a fishmongers), an outdoors market, and an indoors shopping centre – yet almost all the other shops in the High Street etc are thriving! Not sure what their secret is – apart from being a clean and welcoming place of mostly white middle class – but not all places are like East Kent.
Shrewsbury’s ethnic mix is about the same as the UK as a whole.
Where’s the nearest out-of-town shopping mall?
I’ve no idea, but another thing that makes it more welcoming is the complete lack of beggars and homeless on the streets (the walls of Canterbury are turning into a vast camp site, very off-putting!).
NO THANKS TO WESTWOOD CROSS AND THE STUPID COUNCIL WHO CHARGE HIGH RATES FOR THESE LOCAL SHOPS WENT DOWN RAMSGATE WHATS THERE? NOTHING. AS A BOY IN THE 70S IT WAS GREAT. SHAME ON THIS COUNCIL – LABOUR AND THE TORIES. AND THE TWO LOCAL MPs.
WHAT’S THERE?
Waitrose, Argos, Iceland, Coop, Tesco, Boots, Post Office, Peacocks, Savers, Spec Savers, Moores (optician) Santander, Lloyds, HSBC, Taylor’s (butcher), Prentice (greengrocer), Haberdashers, Paris (dry cleaners), florists (x2), shoe repair (x2), Ramsgate Pharmacy, Sherley’s (pet food), jewellers, health food shops ….
ASDA, not Argos!
There’s such a plethora of choice that I lose track.
what about a regular bus service between Braodstairs Railway station and Albion Street for both locals and visitors – times related to train arrivals – suggested before but not taken up by our local politicans
Come on you lazy politicians!
It’s a 10 minute stroll! And you call politicians “lazy”…
A far better idea would be to have a TRUE “Thanet Loop” – encompassing Margate, Westwood Cross, Broadstairs, Ramsgate, Cliffsend, Minster, Monkton, Sarre, St. Nicolas, Birchington and Westgate. Ridiculously, it’s not even possible to get a direct bus from Birchington to Broadstairs – except on Sundays, when most of the shops are shut!
Martin, we need transport for kent policy where people decide what buses are needed not private bus companies who have decimated bus services in kent since tory deregulation. I am a politician who has been calling for local involvement in deciding how public decide policy regarding public transport
The Loop bus goes most of the way down. It’s only a short walk fron Queen St.
I really miss Wilko, where can I buy shoe polish without having to get on a bus?
The market, if/when it returns?
Here in the village of Birchington we still have an old-fashioned hardware store that sells things like shoe polish.
Dumpton- Timpson’s in Ramsgate sells shoe polish.
Thanks M.M. Rees I never thought of them, I thought they only did keys!
You make good points about lower VAT for smaller businesses, especially those on the VAT threshold. If a small business earns £89,999 in a year it pays no VAT. If it earns £90,000 in a year £18,000 of that goes to the government. It’s too steep a jump.
yes, the structure of VAT & buisness rates do not work for small businesses. Don’t start me off about online retailers who don’t even pay any tax…….