Cllr Pauline Jorgensen
Many of our local businesses received support during the Covid pandemic.
Central Government offered unprecedented levels of financial help to businesses up and down the country so that livelihoods were protected and businesses were able to re-open again once restrictions were lifted.
This included business rate relief, a cut in VAT for hospitality, Government backed loans, one-off grants, re-imbursing statutory sick pay and the Furlough scheme. As the then Conservative-led Council we worked closely with the Government organising covid relief, co-ordinating local services so that businesses and residents got the support they needed.
We also worked closely with the Thames Valley Berkshire Business Growth Hub, so that local businesses could benefit from bespoke business advice and other forms of business support.
However, business owners, small and large, are ambitious entrepreneurs. They want to succeed and flourish, not rely on Council support and Government handouts.
Starting your own business involves taking risks and working long hours. People do this in the hope that the risk and the hard work will pay off.
They are the lifeblood of our economy, creating jobs and generating the tax revenue that funds public services.
Trying to shop in our local high streets more often, gives a significant boost to our local economy and helps many shops still recovering from the pandemic whilst combatting the rise in online shopping.
Shopping locally can also offer real value for money and the expertise of a local butcher, for example, can often help your budget go further.
The Council has a very important role to play in ensuring businesses can thrive by creating the right environment and local conditions. When in power Wokingham Conservatives did this by investing in Wokingham town centre through regeneration projects.
The regeneration has created Elms Field and Peach Place, now a popular al fresco dining spot and a vibrant square with a number of independent retailers. We also took the decision to freeze parking charges to encourage shoppers back into our towns once restrictions were lifted.
During our leadership of the Council we always strived to have good communications with local businesses and consult with them on they wanted.
When I and my Conservative colleagues have been speaking to businesses over the last six months or som one of their concerns has been the total lack of engagement from the Liberal Democrat/Labour-run Council.
The Liberal Democrat/Labour Coalition did not consult businesses, or residents, ahead of announcing a doubling of parking charges in town centre car parks and increasing charging hours in the evenings and weekends.
When Conservative Councillors called in this decision to a committee of the Council we were able to hear from local business owners who were concerned that the increase in charges would drive down footfall. They were also concerned for their staff who also use the car parks.
Understanding the need for residents and businesses to make their views heard, we consulted by launching a petition which gained over 4,200 signatures and presented it to Council.
While collecting signatures Conservative councillors spoke with a manager of a retail premises who described the Council’s parking policy as “tone deaf”.
Another retailer said they were struggling to break even on Sundays, but they stay open to help the town seem more vibrant, however any less footfall in the town centre would mean they would have to consider closing.
They said the council’s Sunday parking charges are like a “closed for business” sign on the gate of the Town.
This is not what any of us wants for our town centres.
To put up these charges the Council is obliged to publish a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), this is your last chance to respond and influence the decision. The TRO can now be viewed on the Council’s website, and you can let them know your concerns about the proposed increases by emailing [email protected]
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen is the Conservative group leader and ward member for Hillside
