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Bob Spink wants to hear the views of businesses, residents and councillors

Independent MP Bob Spink's 'Listening Panel' will be held on

Friday 5th March at 7.30pm

At his Constituency Office Meeting Room

At 75 Downer Road Benfleet SS7 1BQ

On the junction of Bowers and Downer Road in the unmade section of Downer Road

Bob wants to hear the views of businesses, residents and councillors

Bob says:

"I've had small businesses; I understand their difficulties and am fighting for them. They get a poor deal from local and national government.

Independent retailers are particularly hard hit by changes to the high street, planning rules and the recession.

I want to hear what I can do to help and what message I can take back to the government of whatever colour.

As an Independent MP, I'm free to do what is right for you rather than the party whip.

Most local retail spending takes place outside our borough. This is bad for our local economy and bad for our environment. I want more friendly policies from the government and local councils to change this.

I have been campaigning for years for:

-Lower rates
-Fairer small business rate relief system
-Removal of some car parking charges (Tories, in part accepted my demand on this one)
-Careful planning to stop unfair high street competition
-Rejection of new out of town supermarkets, higher rates for existing ones
-A secure post office network
-More attractive and regeneration of local shopping areas
-Better public toilets and other facilities
-Improvements to trading/industrial estates like Manor, Rayleigh Weir and Charfleets

We must fight for our communities and that means supporting our local businesses."