Stroud MP Simon Opher and broadcaster and former Government high street adviser Mary Portas have called on ministers to rethink the rules of a new £12 million Local News Fund after independent publisher Stroud Times was barred from applying because it operates as a sole trader.
The Government’s Local News Fund, launched as part of its Amplify: Local Media Action Plan, will offer grants of up to £125,000 to help local news organisations invest in digital innovation and long-term sustainability.
However, despite more than five years of delivering trusted local journalism, Stroud Times has been ruled ineligible for the scheme because it is only open to registered organisations and does not include sole traders.
Simon Opher, MP for Stroud, said: “With misinformation spreading across both social and mainstream media, trusted local journalism has never been more important. That’s why I welcome the Government’s £12 million Local News Fund, which will help support the future of local media in communities across the country.
“However, I am disappointed that sole traders, such as the Stroud Times, have been excluded from the scheme despite the valuable journalism they provide in Stroud. I am urging the Government to reconsider the eligibility criteria and extend the fund to include independent outlets before the application deadline.”
Mary Portas, the retail expert, broadcaster and author widely known as the “Queen of Shops”, has urged ministers to review the policy.
“This is what I don’t understand about the Government’s funding for local journalism,” she said.
“There is a fund available, but the Stroud Times apparently can’t even apply because the rules say applicants must be legally registered organisations that have been operating for at least a year — meaning sole traders are excluded.
“But surely that misses the point.
“The Stroud Times is a sole trader precisely because that is a financially viable way of keeping an independent local newspaper alive. This is entrepreneurial journalism in action. It’s someone taking the risk, building an audience, reporting on their community and keeping local journalism going at a time when so many independent publishers and local newspapers have disappeared.
“I’ve lived in and visited many different towns, and the Stroud Times is genuinely one of the best local newspapers I’ve come across. It has an extraordinary sense of community and an understanding of what matters locally.
“So, Government, please look again at these rules.
“Don’t decide that an independent newspaper isn’t eligible before it’s even had the chance to apply.”
Ash Loveridge, founder and editor of Stroud Times, described the decision as “deeply disappointing”.
“This fund is supposed to support independent local journalism, yet businesses like Stroud Times, which have spent years serving our community without public funding, are excluded before we’ve even had the chance to apply.
“We’ve built a trusted local news service from the ground up, covering everything from council meetings and court cases to community events and breaking news. We do exactly what the Government says it wants local media to do, but because of the way the business is structured, we’re locked out.”
The Local News Fund will distribute £6 million during 2026/27, with a further £6 million planned the following year. Grants of up to £125,000 are available for local news organisations to invest in digital tools, multimedia content and new revenue streams, while a separate infrastructure fund offers grants of up to £275,000.
Under the published eligibility criteria, applicants must be legally registered organisations that have been operating for at least a year, meaning sole traders cannot apply.
Loveridge said many of the UK’s smallest independent publishers had adopted sole trader status because it was the simplest and most affordable way to establish a local news business.
“The irony is that the organisations most in need of support are often the smallest independent publishers. Excluding sole traders risks shutting out exactly the kind of entrepreneurial journalism this fund should be encouraging.
“Independent publishers have stepped in where traditional local newspapers have disappeared. We employ freelancers, support local businesses through our coverage and keep our communities informed every day. It feels wrong that we’re not even allowed to compete.”
Launched in 2021, Stroud Times has grown into one of Gloucestershire’s largest independent online news platforms, attracting hundreds of thousands of readers and millions of social media views each year while remaining free to access.
Loveridge added: “This shouldn’t be about legal structure; it should be about the journalism you’re producing and the communities you’re serving. I hope the Government looks again at the criteria because independent journalism comes in many different forms.”
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