13/03/2008 by admin.

Tomorrow sees the beginning of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Annual Conference at the Hammersmith Novotel. The Conference will be opened by National Chairman, John Wright when he will tell Conference delegates that yesterday’s 4p raise on beer will hit community pubs.

The speech will follow the launch of a campaign to Keep Trade Local, which will descend on Parliament as a mass lobby at 12 o’clock today.

The FSB is keen to reverse the trend of 2000 small shops going out of business each year and is working to put pressure on the Government to rectify the Competition Commission’s failure to deal with unfair competition from the big supermarkets.

John Wright, FSB National Chairman, says: “The extra 4p on a pint of beer won’t stop people binge drinking, but it might stop people going to the local pubs that support so many of our communities up and down the country.

“That’s why it is so important that we get our message across to as many people as possible that we need to keep trade local – we need to do more to support local economies and help them thrive, which in turns creates nicer places to live and work.”

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13/03/2008 by admin.

A major road scheme to Wrexham’s Industrial Estate was given a £1m boost yesterday. Welsh transport minister Ieuan Wyn Jones announced the grant aid as part of a £117m package of transport funding. The access road to the industrial estate would bypass the town from the Gresford to Marchwiel sides, completing a virtual ring road for heavy goods vehicles.

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13/03/2008 by admin.

WREXHAM MP Ian Lucas has welcomed Chancellor Alistair Darling’s first budget as “steady, sound and good for Wrexham.”

Among the measures Mr Lucas welcomed in the Budget were pledges on the environment, a rise in the winter fuel allowance, and measures to ensure that the country is kept on a sound financial footing.

He said: “I think this budget shows that the Chancellor is aware of both the need to maintain Britain’s economic strength and work to improve the environment.

“Among the environmental commitments are those to create more than a million jobs in environmental industries, the measures to tackle the use of plastic bags and the range of incentives announced for motorists to buy greener cars.

“But the Chancellor has also balanced measures on the environment with an understanding of the economic realities for people – I am pleased that he has listened to concerns over the rise in fuel duty and is delaying its introduction.

“The other thing that I believe this Budget shows is that Alistair Darling is a solid character who can be trusted with the economy.

“While the Conservatives’ gimmicky proposals have been designed to catch the headlines, their record in office is of boom and bust.

“In contrast, the Chancellor is maintaining the course that has brought Wrexham prosperity under a Labour Government.”

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13/03/2008 by admin.

Supermarkets in Wrexham need to get their act together over the mountains of carrier bags they give away every week - or face a Government imposed levy, local AM Lesley Griffiths warned yesterday. Read more…

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