Over the summer I hope to catch up with lots of businesses and other organisations in South Somerset to help work on our priorities that I can relay to Government. The hospitality industry had a particularly hard time during the pandemic and it is a focus of mine, particularly as it is so necessary to the future of both High Streets and village life.
Along with colleagues I have fought hard to get support for our great pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels with some success.
The Government has provided a series of cuts and freezes on alcohol duties in the past decade including a freeze from 2021 to 2023 equating to a £2.7billion tax cut, and we just reduced duty on drinks on draught. There was an £8billion reduction in VAT during the pandemic, energy cost support during last year's war price spike and business rate support which I specifically lobbied for pubs to have is ongoing. Times are still not easy but I will continue to look for ways that these businesses, often family owned and run, can look forward to the future.
Given how it will affect such businesses and others, I am concerned that the Council is proposing that £5million of the £9.75million I secured from the national Future High Streets fund for capital works be diverted from regeneration of large key town centre sites to the public realm works they have taken over budget and over time.
Cattle Market, Glovers Walk and Bus Station redevelopment were supposed to get many more people living in and visiting the town cente. This strategy should not be forgone to plug holes and rectify problems in the Council's public realm works and I will be trying to get them to take a more creative approach to bringing those redevelopments forward.
The Love Yeovil Group is organising a drop-in consultation with Council representatives from the project which should be a great opportunity to learn more and share your views. It’s on Tuesday 22nd August from 10-3 at the Yeovil Art Space in the Quedam Centre.
One thing to lift the mood after a very wet July is sport and there is plenty to enjoy at the moment. Stuart Broad’s career must put him amongst our greatest ever sportsmen and his fairytale end to The Ashes is the way to go out at the very highest level.
Our netballers are doing brilliantly in the World Cup in Capetown - do check out this exciting sport - and the Lionesses are closing in on their World Cup.
Closer to home I am loving the re-energised optimism and unity at YTFC and of course we have the Rugby World Cup to look forward to in September.