Local Shops and Businesses
When Mark Twain scribbled a note in 1897 that the report of his death was an exaggeration he could have been speaking of our local shops. There's been a lot of talk about the shops which have closed but not nearly enough talk about the excellent shops that remain and the new ones which are opening.
I have no doubt that the current Recession will see big changes on our high streets; it already has with iconic names like Woolworths closing down. Add to that changing fashions and no town shopping area can stand still for long. But the essential ingredient and what makes our high streets really individual and worth working hard to preserve is the excellent range of small, often family-run, shops in which we still excel.
Whilst it not possible always to buy everything locally, these shops need local support where we can to preserve our unique character and our economic viability.
What I get when I come shopping in our towns and villages is good choice, and, shop owners who actually want you to be in the shop. Local shopping is not more expensive and I often get the chance to buy locally produced goods. But we need to do more to help by reducing red tape.
In Henley, the local paper, the Henley Standard, started a major campaign - Think Local - as part of the fight back by local shops against the Recession. It's a campaign which was timely and very welcome and which other towns and villages in the constituency took up. The town has now seen an increase in new shops including major brands.
I have also supported initiatives to introduce professional town management and strong local partnerships which can tackle a whole range of issues, including planning, to improve our communities.
Sadly, the Government is to scrap national planning rules on retail development such as the ‘needs test', which requires developers to prove the need for additional out-of-town development. The needs test gave local authorities an important power to control out-of-town development and allowed them to focus regeneration and development on their local high streets.
