‘Rethink required over town centres’

WE must be resigned to the fact that our town centres and former hubs of business, retail and entertainment will continue to shrink and decline if we continue

on this current trajectory.

The British Retail Consortium conducted research in the UK that showed almost 20 per cent of units in shopping centres were vacant, compared with 14.5 per cent of vacant units in town centres.

We cannot blame the internet shopping trend entirely on this phenomenon. Brexit, recent lockdowns, changing attitudes and rising prices have all compounded this.

Councils and councillors need to be mindful of this when considering what sort of towns we wish to have in the future.

We need to quickly invest in our green infrastructure to be places where electric cars can be readily and easily charged.

We need to rethink our business rate taxation to encourage smaller businesses and tax bigger corporations more.

Sir Vince Cable’s sensible suggestions around taxing land would mean many businesses in Newcastle paying around a third less.

Empty units should be given over to start-ups and community use, or reimagined for social housing close to amenities.

Our towns and cities should be hives of technology and entertainment where people want to venture at different times and for different occasions.

Too much of our current thinking is short-sighted and makes the rich richer whilst the poor remain poorer.

It saddens me that we see the decline and there is little to alter this for future generations.

AIDAN JENKINS CHESTERTON