Shrewsbury Business Chamber comments on Portas review
Shrewsbury Business Chamber supports the key findings of the review of the state of the retail economy conducted by Mary Portas on behalf of the Government.
This has highlighted a number of issues which collectively have led to the current difficulties in Britain’s high streets. Whilst Shrewsbury Business Chamber considers that the town has been able to maintain its retail offer very well in difficult economic circumstances, the principal points of the report are no less relevant to Shrewsbury than other similar towns. These include:
· Promote town centres to be run like businesses by strengthening the management of high streets through new “Town Teams” or by developing the Business Improvement District model
· “Get the basics right”. These include looking at how the business rates system can better support small concerns, remove red tape concerning planning and other consents, encourage cheap or even free town centre car parking
· Level the playing field by encouraging a strong “Town centre first” approach to urban planning to try to restrict the growth of large retail parks on the outskirts of towns
· Define building owners’ roles and responsibilities, and look at incentives for bringing buildings back into occupation
· Give greater say to communities by better inclusion of the high street in neighbourhood planning and encouraging innovative community use of empty high street space
Gaynor Gravestock, an Executive Member of Shrewsbury Business Chamber said “Shrewsbury Town Centre offers so much for the whole community, including visitors, and every effort must be made to encourage further investment in the town centre to support a healthy mix of living, socialising, shopping and business, and thus the profitability for town centre concerns of all types.”
Her colleague Charles Howell added “Mary Portas’ review focuses on issues which have been of concern to us as representatives of the local Business community for some time, and as a Chamber we welcome this as a means of encouraging building owners, planning authorities and larger retail groups to invest in and better manage our town. Members of the Shrewsbury business community are always welcome to raise any issues by contacting us via the website: www.shrewsburybusiness.com”.
Shrewsbury Business Chamber on behalf of its Members which include retailers, property owners, office users and pub/restaurant operators, will over the course of 2012 seek to encourage Shropshire Council, Shrewsbury Town Council, Destination Shrewsbury and other parties with a vested interest in the promotion of Shrewsbury Town Centre to recognise the issues raised in the Portas Review and take action to develop a co-ordinated approach to investment in the town centre.
