GREEN campaigners have launched a petition to introduce a temporary extension to business rates relief to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on small, independent businesses.
Local campaigner Tom Piotrowski, who will be standing in County Council elections in May, rallied the business community in Worcester around his petition to Chancellor Rishi Sunak ahead of the budget on Wednesday (March 3).
The petition aims to minimise the issue of independent businesses in Worcester requiring paying business rates in April as the campaigner claims will make their recovery after this latest lockdown impossible.
“We need the extension of business rates holiday to save and support our small local businesses. Even before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic many of them, especially those operating from high streets in Worcester, were already struggling to compete with internet-based competitors,” he said.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy providing an income for their owners but also the livelihoods for all those they employ”.
“Covid-19 has been devastating to many businesses in Worcester. They need financial support and a temporary extension to business rates relief could be the difference between going under or surviving for many businesses,” Mr Piotrowski added.
Owner of Pack It In, Phillipa Gilfillan backed the bid and said “The rates relief this last year has been essential to survival, particularly to those businesses who’ve been unable to open, but to help us all get back on our feet it’s equally important for this next year.
“It will make a great difference to all businesses but especially small independents like myself”.
The Green Party’s position is to support business recovery hit by the pandemic and a major reform of business rates.
Visit www.actionnetwork.org/petitions/business-rates-relief for more.
