Stirling’s high street is better than some
Dear Editor I would like to respond to some of the comments made by Colin Gray in your letters page (November 2, 2018) on the situation facing Debenhams and Stirling’s ‘high street’.
Like others, I am deeply disheartened when businesses are forced to close, and nobody has ever argued that, in these tough economic times, this is happening all too often.
Our high streets have never been faced with this situation before: Sterling in free fall; the threat of a cliff edge Brexit; less money in people’s pockets, and more people shopping online.
However, it is important to note that the position in Stirling is significantly better than elsewhere across the UK.
Mr Gray listed a number of businesses that have closed in recent months. On the flip side businesses like: Decorum, Hamilton’s Cheesecakes, Loving Food, Major Hairdressing, Monteray Jacks, Bandito Burrito, Contempo, Unit H, Kitchen Co, new Boots store, Joules, House of Blinds and Lawsons Gin Bar have recently opened or undergone major development in the city centre.
This doesn’t take away from the pain of those who have lost some of their favourite shops through closures but the number of businesses opening in Stirling outnumbers the closures in recent years. That is in stark contrast to what is happening across UK.
We can never be complacent. I know the Scottish Government has now lifted almost 3,000 small businesses out of paying any business rates and that Stirling Council is working to deliver on City Deal funding which will be a great thing for our city’s economy. Nevertheless, nobody should apologise for talking up Stirling’s economy as a success story, and the place to do business.
Dr K A MacGregor Causewayhead