Archive for December, 2012
Wednesday, December 5th, 2012
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has cancelled the planned 3.02p per litre rise in fuel duty scheduled for introduction in January.
Announcing the change in today’s Autumn Statement speech, Chancellor George Osborne said the move would be a “real help” for families and businesses.
The proposed rise would have cost motorists an average £2.53 for a full tank, so consumer groups and industry bodies have welcomed the freeze. Both say higher fuel prices have curbed their driving and hurt the economy.
Mr Osborne said, “Under this government we’ll have had no increase in petrol taxes for nearly two and a half years – in fact they have been cut. Fuel is 10p per litre cheaper than it would have been if we had stuck to the Labour tax plans and I want to keep it that way.”
Wednesday, December 5th, 2012
Conservative controlled Tamworth Borough Council is giving an early Christmas present to the town’s traders and shoppers – free festive car parking for the eighth year in a row.
Parking will be free in all borough council-run car parks on the two Saturdays leading up to Christmas, December 15th and 22nd in a bid to boost town centre trade by encouraging more people to come into Tamworth to shop.
Tamworth Borough Council Deputy Leader, Cllr Robert Pritchard, said, “”We are keen to support the town centre, especially at important times like Christmas. We made the decision to waive parking charges on what are traditionally the two busiest days of the year because we want to support traders and boost town centre trade.
“I hope everyone can take up the opportunity of free parking and support Tamworth town centre. Please tell your family and friends so we can make this the busiest Christmas for the town centre ever.”
The decision to offer free town centre car parking on the two Saturdays prior to Christmas in the last seven years led to a significant rise in the number of visitors. This year, the free parking will give shoppers more opportunity to visit the town centre shops and the Christmas markets, which are running every day from Tuesday December 18 until Christmas Eve.
The Conservative controlled Tamworth Borough Council first introduced free town centre Christmas car parking in 2005.
Wednesday, December 5th, 2012
The Chancellor, George Osborne MP, has announced an increase in the amount of money people can earn before they pay tax.
In his autumn statement speech, Mr Osborne said it was part of the government’s goal of supporting people on modest incomes by taking them out of tax.
He said personal tax allowances will rise by £1,100 from next April – making 24 million people £220 a year better off.
Tuesday, December 4th, 2012
Conservative controlled Tamworth Borough Council, Lichfield District Council, East Staffordshire Borough Council joined together to invite businesses to their ninth Think Local 4 Business Show on Thursday 29 November.
Nearly 700 entrepreneurs descended on The Hilton at St George’s Park near Burton on Trent to attend the free event.
The Think Local 4 Business Show offered local companies the chance to come together and do business. In all, there were 56 exhibition stands, 12 seminars, 5 buyers in the ‘Meet the Buyers’ section and much more.
Cllr Mike Wilcox, Leader of Conservative controlled Lichfield District Council, who launched the event and gave the welcoming speech, said, “It was a pleasure to welcome all the delegates to this fantastic show. On the day, I talked to lots of business representatives from across southern Staffordshire, and they were all impressed with the energy that is put into the event and the quality of the buyers, exhibitions and seminars.”
On top of opportunities to network, delegates had the choice of 12 free seminars to attend. These ranged from advice on closing a sale, to securing a client, through to marketing secrets and tips on social networking.
To keep up to date on the Think Local 4 Business news, visit www.thinklocal4business.co.uk.
Tuesday, December 4th, 2012
Cllr Philip Atkins
Speaking ahead of the Chancellor’s autumn statement tomorrow, the Leader of Conservative controlled Staffordshire County Council, Cllr Philip Atkins, said great strides had already been made in Staffordshire to improve opportunity for residents through difficult financial times and that the Chancellor could support these with a few simple ideas.
Cllr Atkins said, “We run an efficient and effective organisation with limited resources and have made a significant positive impact through our transformation programme. There are no quick-fix solutions to the financial situation this country is in; however, in Staffordshire we are proud of the steps we have taken to mitigate it for our residents.
“Most recently we have shown innovation which has been recognised nationally through our plans to create a joint venture with Capita to protect jobs and improve our education support services. Our joint Make It Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire inward investment team continues to attract business to our area and help existing companies grow.
“Staffordshire is a prime location for business, from international leaders like JCB and Jaguar Land Rover to smaller enterprises which are the lifeblood of our local economy. Clearly, business is good in Staffordshire and I would ask that the Chancellor looks at easing the regulatory burden and other pro-business measures that makes it easier to work with private businesses and encourage more companies to pick Staffordshire as a base from which to grow and expand.
“In Staffordshire we are an integral part of one of the most highly regarded local enterprise partnerships in the country and will be submitting a bid for one of the Government’s City Deals to bring more jobs and growth to Staffordshire. If the Chancellor could ensure that any additional funding for local businesses and infrastructure is targeted through the council and the LEP this will ensure we can target resources in the most effective way to support local businesses.
“The Chancellor could also help with the on-going reduction in unemployment in Staffordshire. Unemployment has fallen by around seven per cent over the last year in this county. That’s why we will continue to focus on supporting businesses through initiatives such as our loans fund, developing our enterprise centres for start-up companies and signposting people to our business and apprenticeships advice line.
“If the Chancellor could ensure that small businesses are given a break from National Insurance contributions or increase the lending from the banks, I think it would be an early Christmas present for local firms.”
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has cancelled the planned 3.02p per litre rise in fuel duty scheduled for introduction in January.
