AGP Executive Report
Last update: 4 hours agoBusiness Rates Relief Watch: Chancellor John Healey is weighing changes to business rates relief in his 28 October Budget, with options including lifting the small business rates relief threshold from £12,000 up to £17,096 (potentially wiping rates for thousands) and adding tapered relief up to £20,000 to help struggling high streets. City Centre Retail Pressure: The Green Party has unveiled a plan to tackle empty shops by letting councils auction long-vacant commercial leases after eight weeks, plus reforming commercial rent reviews so rents can fall as well as rise—aimed at protecting small tenants and reviving main streets. Flexible Working Rules: Government proposals would make it harder for employers to refuse work-from-home and require bosses to show they’ve properly considered flexible working requests, a move the TUC says could help retention and productivity. Local Trading Boosts: Newport Food Festival returns for its 15th year, with 135,139 city-centre footfall clicks last year and a big boost expected for traders. Community & Small Business Spotlight: Warrington’s Sweet Tooth Bakehouse has opened a cake shed, turning artisan baking into a local draw. Workforce & Skills: Fidelity Bank says it promoted 433 staff in its 2026 exercise, with about 13% of its workforce benefiting.
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