Ex-council chairman to shut Bournemouth shop after 50 years

A former chairman of Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council has revealed he is closing his town centre shop after nearly 50 years.

Nigel Hedges’ business, Bourne Engraving, will shut its doors at the end of this year.

The jewellery engraving business opened in 1976.

During this time, Nigel saw the town centre wither away. “There’s one shop that has been empty for 12 years,” he said, “It wouldn’t be shut for 12 days when I first started.”

At its peak, Bourne Engraving was working on police guns, traffic wardens’ radios, and hundreds of pens and cigarette lighters.

But the demand for services like Nigel’s has disappeared.

“When I was a councillor, we lost five shoe shops in one quarter,” Nigel recalled. “So nobody is coming to Bournemouth to buy shoes anymore. Obviously not because whatever people want, they can buy online for half the price, and it will arrive the next morning.”

Nigel’s experience as both a businessman and politician gives him an interesting insight into the world of finances.

And his advice to the new chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of next week’s Budget? Scrap business rates.

Business rates are a tax on business properties; they are collected by local councils on behalf of the government and are then partially redistributed to councils across the country.

However, councils do not keep all of the business rates they collect, and Nigel believes they are no longer fit for purpose.

“How much business rate are you getting from all the empty shops? Nothing!

“For small businesses, the business rate is their profit and by taking that off them, they are left with nothing.”