Forest of Dean District Council looking for market town champion
A dedicated market towns officer could be recruited to help business owners, residents and town councillors create thriving and resilient communities.Forest of Dean District Council (FoDDC) wants to see improvements across Lydney, Cinderford, Coleford and Newent.It has estimated that the cost of the role over two years would be £106,000, jointly funded by FoDDC and the four town councils.But FoDDC says the role is key to support the transformation of its market towns to ensure they are fit for future generations.
A Market Town Regeneration report in May 2024 highlighted common challenges and weaknesses for the four towns, in particular shopping, employment opportunities and evening activity."I like to describe Newent as a hotel," said a 20-year-old woman who works in one of the town's sandwich shops."People just sleep here and then go off and work somewhere else. To be honest as quickly as I can I'm moving out of Newent because there is nothing here."One of the town's hairdressers, whose lived in Newent all her life, said it had been hit hard by the closure of three banks in recent years, quickly followed by a butcher and a greengrocer.
The market towns officer would be expected to support business groups and community groups with their existing collaborative work, as well as working with the four town councils on marketing aimed at residents, visitors and potential investors.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
a day ago
- Reuters
Indian shares set to open higher on trade optimism, RBI policy support
June 10 (Reuters) - India's benchmark indexes are poised to open higher on Tuesday, buoyed by optimism around U.S.-China trade talks and domestic policy support. The Gift Nifty futures were trading at 25,247 as of 7:59 a.m. IST, indicating that the Nifty 50 (.NSEI), opens new tab will open above Monday's close of 25,103.20. The benchmark has risen 2.3% in four sessions and logged its highest close for 2025 on Monday. "Markets are continuing their upward momentum, buoyed by supportive domestic monetary policy and favourable global cues," Bajaj Broking Research analysts said in a note. Other Asian markets opened higher, with the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index (.MIAPJ0000PUS), opens new tab gaining 0.5%. Wall Street equities closed mostly higher overnight and the U.S. dollar retreated as U.S.-China talks began in London, aimed at mending a trade dispute that has rattled financial markets for much of the year. U.S. President Donald Trump said he was getting good reports on progress in trade negotiations. Expectations of cooling global trade tensions and bumper monetary policy support from the Reserve Bank of India have aided a rally, two analysts said. This was reflected in the market as both foreign portfolio investors (FPI) and domestic institutional investors (DII) remained net buyers of Indian shares on Monday, with net inflows of 19.93 billion rupees ($232.7 million) and 35.04 billion rupees, respectively. ** ITD Cementation ( opens new tab secures a new contract worth 8.93 billion rupees ** Jana Small Finance Bank ( opens new tab submits application at the Reserve Bank of India seeking approval for transition to universal bank from small finance bank ** Zee Entertainment ( opens new tab enters into a strategic partnership with Content Start-up Bullet to launch India's first micro-drama application ($1 = 85.6460 Indian rupees)
Reuters
03-06-2025
- Reuters
Swiss inflation turns negative for first time since COVID pandemic
ZURICH, June 3 (Reuters) - Swiss inflation turned negative in May, marking the first decline in consumer prices for more than four years and adding pressure on the Swiss National Bank to cut its interest rate steeply later this month. Consumer prices fell by 0.1% in May compared with a year earlier, according to data from the Federal Statistics Office on Tuesday, the lowest reading since March 2021 when the Swiss economy was hit by the COVID-19 crisis. An interest rate cut by the SNB at its next meeting on June 19 is seen as a certainty by the market, which gives a 69% probability the central bank will cut rates from 0.25% at present to 0%. Markets now give a 31% probability the SNB will cut its key interest rate to -0.25%, returning Switzerland to an era of negative interest rates which were in place from late 2014 to 2022. The Swiss National Bank declined to comment on Tuesday.
Reuters
02-06-2025
- Reuters
Aluminium premium for US buyers soars after Trump doubles tariffs
LONDON, June 2 (Reuters) - Premiums for consumers buying aluminium on the physical market in the United States soared on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he planned to increase tariffs on imported steel and aluminium to 50% from 25%. The U.S. is heavily reliant on aluminium imports. About half of all aluminium used in the country for transport, packaging and construction is delivered from elsewhere, with the vast majority coming from Canada. The new tariffs are due to take effect on June 4. Buyers on the physical market usually pay the London Metal Exchange (LME) benchmark aluminium price plus a premium covering taxes, transport and handling costs. The U.S. Midwest duty-paid aluminium premium reached $0.58 per lb, or $1,279 a metric ton, on Monday. That was a 54% jump from Friday and 164% growth since the start of 2025. Part of Monday's growth was amplified by June 2 being the first trading day of the new month, when regional premiums often make a strong move. Goldman Sachs said the premium would need to rise to between $0.68 and $0.70 per lb to fully reflect the 50% import tariff. LME benchmark aluminium was last up 0.2% at $2,448.5 a ton.
