Stuart Anderson MP has extended his Shop Local Campaign to more market towns in South Shropshire. This includes Bishop's Castle, Church Stretton, Clun, and Craven Arms.
Having launched in Bridgnorth and Ludlow, Stuart is now encouraging as many residents and business owners from across South Shropshire as possible to take part in his survey.
South Shropshire is home to 5,785 small businesses. This represents 99.8% of all businesses in the area. More than two thousand residents and business owners have already responded to Stuart's call for ideas.
This includes almost a thousand responses from Ludlow, building on an initial 1,222 responses from the launch in Bridgnorth. Stuart now wants more people to have their say on how to revive retail areas in South Shropshire.
Questions in Stuart's survey include the factors that encourage people to spend time shopping in the area, and the changes they would like to see to encourage more people to spend more time shopping locally.
For business owners, the survey also includes the option to feature in Stuart's Small Business Directory, which he launched in July. Located on his website, this showcases the range of talent in the local business community.
Stuart has said that the results will inform his plan to unleash rural prosperity across South Shropshire and will be shared with key partners including Culture Minister Sir Chris Bryant MP, who has endorsed Stuart's campaign.
In correspondence with Stuart, Sir Chris has said: "I commend the proactive approach you are taking... it is encouraging to see such strong local leadership."
As part of Stuart's campaign to unleash rural prosperity, he wants to create the right environment for every business to flourish. He is committed to listening to what local businesses need and lobbying for local support that delivers on this.
The extension of Stuart's survey comes the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports that unemployment is at a four-year high. The number of employees on payroll has fallen in 10 of the last 12 months, having fallen by 8,353 in July 2025 alone.
This has disproportionately affected sectors such as hospitality and retail. The figures published on 12th August 2025 also show that there are 164,000 fewer people on payroll since October 2024 when the £25 billion jobs tax was announced.
Shropshire Chamber of Commerce's latest survey found that the tax hikes have created an atmosphere of "nervousness and uncertainty" in Shropshire's business community.
Meanwhile, analysis from Begbies Traynor has found that almost 50,000 businesses are in critical financial distress, a figure that is up 21.4% compared to last year. This includes 3,764 business in Shropshire, with 1,088 in Ludlow and 234 in Bridgnorth.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"Having launched in Bridgnorth and Ludlow, I am now encouraging as many residents and business owners across South Shropshire as possible to take part in his survey. Market towns like Bishop's Castle, Church Stretton, Clun, and Craven Arms are a vital part of my plan to unleash rural prosperity. April's tax hikes have put local businesses under significant pressure. I urge everyone to complete my Shop Local Survey. These vital insights will enable me to better champion the aspirations of our local communities and campaign for the opportunities that will enable them to thrive.”
