Epsom's Small Shops under Threat
November 25, 2008 4:33 PM
Butcher Derek Fletcher (seen here with Cllr Colin Taylor) is running the FSB petition in his Upper High Street shop
The Federation of Small Businesses is taking action to save small shops, after a House of Commons All-Party Committee estimated there would be no independent retailers left by 2015. It is running a nationwide petition in support of the appointment of an independent "regulator", so that local planning decisions do not have a negative effect on the local community.
Epsom town's last independent butcher, Sandford & Fletcher, in Upper High Street, is hoping for hundreds of signatures.
Master Butcher Derek Fletcher, who specialises in natural free range meats said "I moved to Epsom four years ago because it's a small market town very suitable for independent retailers, but unless things change the supermarket giants will take over entirely. They can obviously buy in huge quantities and though independent retailers may score over them on quality, it's difficult for us to compete."
The shops in Manor Green Road also have copies of the petition, for customers to sign.
Alternatively the petition can be signed on-line, see the Related Link below.
Councillor Colin Taylor (Lib Dem, Stamford) who is a long-standing member of the Borough Council's Planning Committee is pressing for action. He and his Lib Dem colleagues are alerting local businesses to the petition and raising questions in the council.
Petition forms and other campaign materials, instructions for returning completed petition forms, details of the Federation of Small Businesses and contact details for their local branch can all be obtained using the Related Links below.
The Federation of Small Businesses' website is at www.fsb.org.uk