Local Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz has highlighted the importance of garden centres and nurseries following a visit to Tavernspite Garden Centre, thanks to the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA).
During the meeting, organised by the HTA, Samuel met Paul Webb and his family, who have run the garden centre in Tavernspite for nearly 50 years. Paul discussed some of the challenges that independent garden centres face in providing more environmentally friendly ways of gardening, as well as chatting about some of the issues that affect small business across West Wales, such as high energy bills, workplace recycling and business rates.
Commenting following the meeting, Samuel said;
“It was great to catch up with Paul to talk about the valuable role that independent garden centres and nurseries can play in rural communities. The Tavernspite Garden Centre is a real hub, with people travelling from many miles to purchase plants and gardening equipment as well as indulging in a great coffee and cake in the Plum Tree Tea Rooms. Sometimes garden centres are the only remaining business in what were once thriving west Wales villages.
“Paul was keen to discuss some of the challenges that businesses such as his face and I have promised to raise some of the issues surrounding energy costs and business rates with Ministers in the Welsh Parliament.
“Independent businesses are the life blood of our economy and I urge readers to considering using small, locally owned, family run businesses such as Tavernspite Garden Centres to ensure that they survive for the next generation”.
