Organisers said financial relief announced in the Autumn Budget would not be enough to help struggling retailers thrive
Spring Fair has welcomed measures announced in the Autumn Budget to ease business rates pressures on independent retailers, but warns that financial relief alone will not revive Britain’s high streets.
The Budget includes changes to Small Business Rates Relief thresholds, which are expected to mean an estimated 70,000 additional businesses paying no business rates from April 2027. However, rising employment costs and the challenge of attracting customers remain significant concerns.
Jackson Szabo, Portfolio Director of Spring Fair and Autumn Fair, said: “The business rates announcements are welcome news for independent retailers, many of whom are operating on incredibly tight margins. But reducing the cost of trading is only part of the solution. Retailers also need customers coming through their doors.”
Research from ‘Voices of Retail 2026’, produced by Spring Fair and Autumn Fair in partnership with Faire, found that 63 per cent of consumers would visit their local high street more often if parking were free, while 38 per cent of retailers identified free parking as the intervention most likely to benefit their business.
Spring Fair and Autumn Fair are calling for a minimum of 90 minutes’ free parking in town and city centres across England, arguing that business rates relief must be accompanied by practical measures to encourage footfall and strengthen independent retail.
