Council commits to support vibrant town centres – and calls on Government and MPs to back small businesses now
A commitment to ongoing support for Newcastle-under-Lyme’s town and village centres has been made by the borough council – as it urges the Government to take immediate action to help small businesses.
The council is delivering ambitious regeneration schemes across Newcastle and Kidsgrove – supported by its recent £80million investment – but says national interventions on tax and business rates are urgently needed to ensure independent retailers, hospitality businesses and high street traders can survive and thrive.
The council passed a formal motion at its meeting last night to write to Chancellor Rachel Reeves urging her to act now to support small businesses in the borough and nationally.
Members agreed to request that the Chancellor should extend business rate relief currently in place for pubs to all hospitality and high street businesses. In addition, they are calling for a review of those business rates to permanently reduce taxation to support economic growth whilst ensuring that income for councils to fund vital services is not reduced.
Evidence shows that residents still value bricks‑and‑mortar shops and leisure venues as part of their local experience. The borough council is therefore taking long-term action to reinvigorate its town centres through a series of major, once‑in‑a‑generation projects, started with more than £50 million secured in 2020 through the Government’s Town Deal and Future High Streets Fund and boosted recently by an £80 million investment from the council itself.
In Newcastle, significant investment is transforming key sites into modern, attractive spaces for homes, retail, leisure and community uses. Improvements to open spaces and transport connections are under way, helping to create a more vibrant and welcoming environment for residents, visitors and businesses.
Town Deal funding is driving improvements to transport, leisure and public spaces in Kidsgrove, ensuring it remains an accessible and attractive destination with high‑quality community facilities.
Simon Tagg, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough council’s leader, said:
Our high streets and town centres are vital community hubs, and our small businesses are central to their success. We are delivering once‑in‑a‑lifetime regeneration to create the right conditions for businesses to grow, but they continue to shoulder the burden of rising national taxes and business rates.
We’re now calling on the Government to act — with the support of our local MPs — to introduce fairer business rates, extend relief for hospitality and retail, and create a level playing field so that our small businesses can remain competitive and continue to serve communities across the borough.”