The Liberal Democrats have pledged their support for local shops against anti-competitive supermarket competition.

In a bid to prevent the decline of independent traders in town centres, new Liberal Democrat policy calls for the appointment of an independent retail regulator able to tackle abuse of market power by big retailers.

Making it simpler for local authorities to judge planning applications for large stores solely on their merits, rather than being swayed by the potential cost of appeals, and reducing the tax burden on small retailers would also fall under the regulator’s remit, according to the new policy, which was announced at the party’s Spring Conference in Harrogate.

“Local people too often feel they have no control over the communities they live in,” says Dan Rogerson, local government spokesperson, who aired his views at the Association of Convenience Stores’ (ACS) fringe event at the Liberal Democrat party conference in September. “By setting local government free we will allow town halls greater powers to protect small traders from the overbearing economic power of supermarkets, which can afford to squeeze local competition by undercutting prices, only to raise them again when small shops are forced to close. People should be given more power to shape their communities.”

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “I am pleased that the Liberal Democrats have made this move for local shops and the communities that they serve.”

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