Council Must Support Whole Borough During Recession, Not Just Town Centre

Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats have won the overwhelming support of a meeting of the full council for their call for a new Loan Assistance Scheme for Town Centre Retailers to apply to shops across all other parts of the Borough as well.

The Mayor of Bedford recently announced the creation of a 'soft loans scheme' to assist retailers who face the prospect of having to close down or relocate due to a rent increase of at least 25 per cent. Under the terms of the scheme, only Town Centre retailers are eligible to apply for for support. The Liberal Democrats have attacked the Mayor for choosing to neglect to support suburban and rural retailers at a time when the effects of the economic crisis are being felt by all communities. After winning emphatic support at Wednesday's meeting for their call for the £200,000 scheme to apply across the whole borough, the Lib Dems have demanded that the Mayor extends the scheme as soon as possible.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Harrold Ward Nick Charsley said: "By excluding all of the Borough outside the town centre from the Soft Loan Scheme, the Mayor is sending the message that the council just doesn't care about suburban and rural Bedford Borough. He now has a chance to change that message and show that the council is not willing to simply ignore the plight of communities outside the town centre at this difficult time for everyone. Perhaps the Mayor is not aware of this, but I can assure him that the effects of the economic crisis are not limited to Town Centres alone.'

"If even one local rural or suburban shop missed out on support that could prevent its closure while Town Centre retailers in similar circumstances are being rescued, it would bring shame upon this council. Smaller villages with just one or two shops, for example, simply cannot afford to lose them. The Mayor must recognise that rural and suburban communities are in just as a great a need for help and support at this difficult time as the Town Centre."

The Retailer Loan Assistance Scheme announced by the Council on 14th November enables retailers facing a rent increase of at least 25 per cent to apply to the council for a loan of between £5,000 and £25,000 in order to cover the increase. Retailers applying for the loans must demonstrate that the level of rent increase with which they are faced is causing their business model to no longer be viable and that they can reasonably expect to repay the loan once economic conditions have improved. Wednesday's meeting of Bedford Borough Council approved the creation of a £200,000 fund for the administration of the scheme, but endorsed the Lib Dems' call to the Mayor to make the scheme available to retailers outside the Town Centre in need of assistance.