INDEPENDANT councillors have called for parking charges in Midsomer Norton to be removed as part of wider proposals to support small businesses across Bath and North East Somerset.

The Independents for B&NES group has launched a campaign urging the council to provide greater support for small and rural enterprises, including backing the national Small Business Saturday initiative.

After a campaign throughout the summer, the Guildhall’s leadership and the Business & Skills Regeneration Team have agreed to sign up and publicly support the national Small Business Saturday day which dates place on 6th December across the UK.

Cllr Karen Walker (Independent, Peasedown) is Group Leader of Independents for B&NES. She said: “We’re thrilled that the council is supporting our campaign to introduce Small Business Saturday here in B&NES.

More and more we’re seeing small businesses close and empty shops appear. Small and rural businesses are often the backbone of many of our local communities which our residents so heavily rely on.

By getting behind Small Business Saturday, which always takes place on the first Saturday in December, it shows just how much we appreciate the thousands of entrepreneurs and business owners throughout our community.”

Small Business Saturday celebrates the UK's much-loved 5.45 million small businesses and encourages the nation to show their support, particularly by spending and shopping small.

Small Business Saturday is a national movement to spotlight the small businesses that make a big difference to our communities and economy.

Cllr Chris Warren (Independent, Saltford) said: “By getting behind Small Business Saturday in December it really shows how much we appreciate all those business owners who are also integral parts of our local community and who provide jobs for local people.

I know many small businesses in Saltford who would really value being a part of a local and national drive to support what they do.

I’d encourage as many businesses as possible to sign up for the Small Business Saturday campaign pack.”

Small business owners in B&NES will receive news about the initiative from the council’s Business & Skills Regeneration Team later this year, but any entrepreneurs who want to start planning in advance can sign up for more details on the Small Business Saturday website: www.smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com

Cllr Gavin Heathcote (Independent, Peasedown) said: “There needs to be more help made available by both national and local government to support small businesses who are being priced out by larger companies. We’re slowly seeing the death of the High Street and campaigns like ‘Small Business Saturday’ could make a real difference.

The Independents for B&NES group on the council have a full set of policies that will support small and rural businesses and bring about a new positive way of doing things that will only boost and enhance our local economy.”

Independents for B&NES are campaigning for the Local Authority to introduce a new grant subsidy scheme to help small businesses with fewer than ten employees cover heating and electricity costs.