Heart of our communities must still beat

‘Tis the season to be jolly but our front page is decidedly more“Bah Humbug”than“Ho Ho Ho”.

However, we make no apologies for it. Our motivation for highlighting the dire situation in both of our town centres is borne of concern, not contempt; affection, not animosity.

The Advertiser is proud to represent Airdrie and Coatbridge, just as you are similarly proud to hail from these fine towns, each steeped in history and heritage. But if a town’s appearance reflects its residents then, presently at least, we’re a population in need of a much-needed makeover.

Rows of run-down empty premises encased behind steel shutters and wooden windows are no substitute for bustling business offering a wide variety of products and service with a smile.

And we say this while retaining the utmost respect for all those remaining town-centre businesses striving to be successful in challenging circumstances.

We are not naive enough to envisage a return to an era before internet shopping and out-of-town malls, when few ventured beyond the town boundary and everyone shopped locally. Those days are gone.

We are also not taking aim at easy targets, blaming this one or that for the current predicament. It’s unfortunately far from unique, with many other towns struggling with the same dilemma.

All we ask is for the situation to be addressed before it becomes impossible. Surely that’s not too much to ask? Nothing would give us more satisfaction than being able to encourage readers to do more shopping locally, particularly now, with Christmas gifts to be bought.

Ultimately though, this isn’t about a few weeks of festive shopping. It’s much more important than that.

After all, a town centre is not just for Christmas. It’s for life.