Is it possible to save the High Street?

THE High Streets are dying and it’s all because of online shopping — apparently. So, it’s nothing to do with councils charging eye-watering rents, miles of double yellow lines policed by jobsworth traffic wardens, extortionate car parking charges, councils making no attempt to bring town centres into the 21st century, police ignoring gangs of youths and beggars intimidating shoppers and all the litter around takeaways. It’s the customers’ fault for not supporting third-grade facilities.

MiKe cAtterALL, Accrington, Lancs. WHY don’t we rent out some of the 26,000 empty High Street shops as apartments for the homeless?

rALPH DOncASter, Bridgnorth, Shropshire.

ONE way to save the High Street is to introduce more charity shops. From helping job-seekers get back into work to improving the confidence of the more vulnerable members of our society, they are a lifeline. This innovative sector has seized the opportunity that vacant retail units have presented to attract shoppers and reinvigorate town centres.

e. LAMPLOUGH, trowbridge, Wilts. I SUGGEST that many shops are closing down because they simply don’t sell what people want or need. When I go clothes shopping, I can’t find anything I like because the designs are unwearable, the fabrics are cheap and the hemlines all over the place. My favourite eyeshadow and hair tint are no longer stocked in the usual shops. These items may be small, but in the past when I went to the High Street to buy them, I would often see clothes, shoes or a present to buy, too.

c. ALDen, Stourbridge, W. Mids.

I SUPPORT small towns with thriving independent shops, which are crucial for their communities. But on days out to larger towns, I regret the decline of department stores House of Fraser, Debenhams and now Beales. Ground floor: cosmetics, perfumes, handbags and accessories. First floor: ladies fashion. Second floor: menswear. Third floor: home furnishings — and then head to the store’s cafe for tea and cake. It was a day out in one shop. How I wish a new department store would fill the sad, empty buildings left by BHS.

B. SiMPSOn, Preston, Lancs.