Businesses welcome town improvement works

Businesses in Farnham have said they are feeling positive about a programme of improvements in the town, but there was concern about the government's changes to National Insurance and business rates.

Works which started in February include wider pavements, more pedestrian controlled crossings and changes to the gyratory, with two-way traffic introduced in parts of Downing Street and The Borough.

A Surrey County Council (SCC) spokesperson said they would continue to work to minimise disruption as much as possible.

The owner of Hamilton's Tea House, Steve Hamilton, told BBC Radio Surrey that the mood amongst retailers was "quite buoyant".

He acknowledged there were some concerns in the short term, including around pollution levels.

"Sometimes the perception on social media is that the traffic is worse than it is," he said.

"It flows. Yes, there's stagnation at certain times. That's short lived and the traffic does flow through.

"For customers, Farnham is going to be beautiful and a much nicer place to visit and shop in."

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Mr Hamilton said they were being "hit hardest" by the Chancellor Rachel Reeves' decision to raise employer National Insurance contributions and reduce business rates relief from 75% to 40%.

Michaela Martin, owner of the boutique Mulberry Silks and a Farnham Residents county councillor, agreed it was causing problems.

"I don't think Rachel Reeves even thought about that... somebody who's never been in a small business doesn't realise [the impact]."

Ms Martin said she was "quite happy" with how the works were going and that she "can't complain" about trade at the moment.

"Farnham is a destination town," she added.

"We have so many people from Marlborough, Andover, across the south coast, Dorking and everything coming [here]."

An SCC spokesperson said: "While data shows that levels of car park use in Farnham remains the same, we will continue to work with the local community and local businesses to support Farnham, and to minimise disruption as much as possible.

"We'll also be encouraging people to consider how they travel into town, both during the works and beyond.

"Changing to walking, cycling, using public transport or parking in different car parks will all help reduce pressure on the town centre's roads."

A Treasury spokesperson said the government knew the "vital importance of small businesses" and had taken "necessary decisions on tax to stabilise public finances".

"We are now focused on creating opportunities for businesses to compete and access the finance they need to scale, export and break into new markets," added the spokesperson.

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