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Small Business Strategy Inquiry 2025 - ACT and Bira call for members to share their voice

20 Jun 2025

The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee has asked the ACT, and its parent company Bira, to help them reach out to small business retailers across the country, for their quick input on... Read more…

Beyond the discount: Restoring integrity to the cycle supply chain

18 Jun 2025

The Association of Cycle Traders believes the time has come for greater accountability throughout our supply chain, writes ACT Director Jonathan Harrison in an article published for BikeBiz.
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Bira welcomes Wales' business rates proposals but calls for key improvements

11 Jun 2025

Bira has welcomed the Welsh Government's consultation on business rate reforms for retail shops, whilst calling for significant improvements to ensure the proposals truly support high street... Read more…

New awards launch to champion Britain's independent high street heroes

9 Jun 2025

Retailers on Britain's high streets are being encouraged to put themselves forward for the first-ever Love Your High Street Awards, designed to celebrate the small businesses that bring... Read more…

"Tectonic shift" in employment law threatens independent retailer viability, warns Bira podcast

6 Jun 2025

Independent retailers are facing a "generational" transformation of employment law that could fundamentally change how small businesses operate, according to the final episode of Bira's first... Read more…

Retailers hope warm weather and bank holidays will boost high street sales

16 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has said that members are hopeful the warm weather, Easter weekend and upcoming bank holidays will provide a much-needed boost to high street sales.
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Economic growth surges to 0.7%, but "April reality check" looms for high street retailers

15 May 2025

UK economy delivers strongest quarterly performance in a year despite forecasts of business downturn.
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Communities come together for Local Bike Shop Day 2025 celebrations

13 May 2025

Local Bike Shop Day 2025 brought a wave of... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira welcomes Bank of England's latest interest rate cut

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has welcomed the Bank of England's decision to reduce interest rates from 4.5% to 4.25%, calling it a "much-needed boost" for the retail sector, including for cycling... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira responds to Beales' "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" as iconic store makes final protest

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has responded to the news that the 144-year-old Beales department store is staging a "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" in its final weeks of trading, with giant yellow... Read more…

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Levelling Up plan to spread opportunity and prosperity throughout the country

Posted on in Business News, Cycles News, Political News

The Houses of Parliament, budget 2020Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has published its Levelling Up White Paper, setting out the government's plans to spread opportunity and prosperity throughout the country.

The White Paper details twelve ‘key missions' to be achieved by 2030. These include:

  • Every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal.
  • Reducing serious violence and neighbourhood crime particularly within the worst-affected areas.
  • Raising pride in place, including people's satisfaction with their town centre and community engagement.
  • Improving pay, employment and productivity across the UK.
  • Raising skills in the labour market, including 80,000 more people completing entry-level courses, guided by new Local Skills Improvement Plans.
  • Rolling out nationwide gigabit-capable broadband and 4G coverage, with 5G coverage for the majority of the population.
  • Improving wellbeing across the country and reducing gaps within regions.

The missions will be set in law by a forthcoming Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, which will also require the government to publish annual progress reports to be scrutinised in part by a new Levelling Up Advisory Council. The Bill is expected to be announced at the next Queen's Speech in May.

The White Paper itself includes underlying policy plans to:

  • Implement the £96bn Integrated Rail Plan, improving the rail network in the North and Midlands, and invest £24bn in our busiest roads and motorways, £5.7bn in City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements and £5bn for buses, cycling and walking networks.
  • Announce 68 more local authorities to be supported by the High Streets Task Force to invest in their town centres.
  • Require landlords of empty shops to fill them if they have been left vacant for too long.
  • Introduce an In-Work Progression Offer to help people on low incomes address barriers to better employment opportunities, building on the National Disability Strategy.
  • Publish a second report on rural proofing in the Spring to ensure rural circumstances are considered during policy development.
  • £50m annually through the Safer Streets Fund to tackle anti-social behaviour.
 

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