What can be done to save Britain’s High Streets before it’s too late?

I COMMEND the Daily Mail for its campaign to save the High Street, but excessive business rates are not the only cause of the demise. As I told David Cameron when he appointed Mary Portas as his High Street guru, the only way to resuscitate local shopping is footfall. This is determined by whether people can drive into a town centre, park their cars and enjoy a shopping experience. If local councils could be persuaded to do away with parking restrictions for up to three hours, it could solve the problem. But too many High Streets charge ridiculous sums to park, which has resulted in more people shopping online or going to out-of-town shopping centres where they can park for free.

A. LATTER, NW London. MANY’S the time I have driven through my local High Street, but have not stopped

to buy bread or pop into a dry cleaner’s or Post office because of the difficulty and expense of parking. In Italy, cars have a cardboard clock they leave on the dashboard to show they are parking for only a few minutes to run an errand.

TANIA STONE, London N2.

CRIPPLING business rates are not the only problem. A friend of mine shops only online — for everything from food and clothes to make-up and household goods. If she runs out of milk, she pops into a petrol station rather than a shop.

Name and address supplied. SoMe High Street stores are responsible for their own demise. I often receive emails stating: ‘These offers are only available online, not in store.’

CATHERINE BROWN, Helston, Cornwall.

TAX internet shopping to make it more expensive to shop online. The Americans are looking at ways to control the internet shopping boom and save bricks-and-mortar shops. If online shoppers are charged extra in tax, they will return to the High Street, thus saving jobs and preventing city centres from becoming ghost towns.

M. IRVING, Mallorca. RATHeR than make matters more complex by tinkering with business rates and offering concessions, surely it would be simpler to abolish rates and introduce a simple sales tax to be levied across all retailers, whether they be online giant Amazon or a small shop. As it would be based on sales rather than profit, the conglomerates will not be able to spirit it away in fees or to their parent companies abroad. Small shops will pay a lot less than they do currently and, with a level playing field, the large online retailers will finally have to pay their fair share.

BRYAN DAVIES, Ammanford, Carms.