Kirklees’ small businesses can bank on more council support as the local authority has agreed to back Small Business Saturday.

Small Business Saturday is an annual campaign to support, celebrate and promote small independent businesses and will take place in the UK this year on Saturday, December 2. As well as encouraging small businesses to promote themselves and work with other small businesses, the campaign aims to encourage consumers to ‘shop local’ and support small independent businesses in their areas.

At last week’s Full Council meeting, Kirklees’ Lib Dems put forward a motion calling for greater council involvement in Small Business Saturday and its promotion. The local authority adopted this and as a result it has been agreed that council officers will now work closely with small businesses and smaller enterprises across the district to make them aware of Small Business Saturday and to encourage them to sign up.

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On top of this, the council will promote on its platforms and develop a year-round communications plan to continue promoting local small businesses and encouraging residents in Kirklees to shop local all year round.

Leading on the council motion was Kirklees Liberal Democrat councillor, Alison Munro. She said: “We are pleased that the motion was approved at the full council meeting. Because of time constraints at these council meetings, it’s rare that we have an opportunity to discuss and vote on them.

“Our motion called for the council to promote Small Business Saturday as a way to advance the message about shopping local and supporting our small local independent businesses, many of whom are experiencing enormous challenges and pressures.

“One of our asks was for the council to look at further measures to increase shopper numbers in the lead up to Christmas and we feel that free Christmas car parking again this year in Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Holmfirth town centres would be particularly beneficial and would encourage more visitors and increase footfall.

“However, we’re disappointed that the Labour group’s amendment removes any reference to temporary free parking. We believe that the council and the administration should do all that it can to attract shoppers in our villages and towns.

“Of course, many of the challenges our small businesses face are national ones that require an urgent national solution, so we do at least agree that the government needs to do more to support local businesses as well.”