Max's Plan for our economy
Cheltenham is a thriving town at the heart of the national picture for arts and culture
Max is fighting for economic opportunities for our town, ensuring that the benefits of growth are felt by the people of Cheltenham.
Hospitality
As the Festival Town, Cheltenham relies on its hospitality sector. Cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants provide thousands of jobs in the town and bring millions of pounds to the local economy. But they have been hit hard in recent years by the pandemic, cost of living crisis.
Max is determined to fight their corner and get a fairer deal for these businesses. Max has called for reforms for business rates and has raised solutions to help smaller businesses.
Hospitality businesses are the backbone of Cheltenham’s local economy, and Max is committed to fighting for a fairer deal for them.
The Golden Valley
Max is backing the Golden Valley development to support the development of Cheltenham's cyber industry, which is driving Cheltenham’s economy.
Cheltenham has the largest number of cyber businesses outside of London and is home to GCHQ. The town is a national hub of cyber technology and Max is campaigning to bring investment in to make it a success, backing local Lib Dem plans.
Since being elected, Max has championed Cheltenham's cyber industry. In his first week in Parliament, he questioned Ministers about funding for the Golden Valley after the Conservatives failed to deliver on their promises to the town.
Max made the case repeatedly, before a £20 million grant was confirmed by the new government. He has
raised Cheltenham’s cyber future with Ministers regularly, gaining recognition for the local sector and CyNam.
He is a founding member of the Cyber Innovation group of MPs and will ensure this platform is used to support Cheltenham’s cyber businesses at every opportunity.
Housing
Cheltenham is one of the least affordable places to live in our region. While not everybody struggles, the system works for very few of us. And lack of affordability means local businesses and public services find it harder to recruit.
As a Councillor, Max led the campaign to ensure Cheltenham invested more in affordable housing for local people, resulting in the town's £180m investment plan. Now as an MP, Max is campaigning to raise the standard of new homes with the Sunshine Bill, which will mandate solar energy generation in all new builds.
It's a win-win saving homeowners on their energy bills while making our homes better for the planet.
Town Centre Action Plan
High streets across the country are struggling after a difficult few years. In Cheltenham, there are many empty units in the town centre which could be put to better use.
Before he was elected, Max pioneered the empty shops report. This aims to fill empty premises, take enforcement against the owners of dilapidated shops and ensure that we repurpose underused spaces to meet Cheltenham’s housing demand.
Boosting the housing supply in the town centre will help young people get on the property ladder while bringing
people closer to the shops, helping the businesses in and around the high street. It’ll help us preserve green spaces too.
