CORNWALL: New inquiry into town centres

With many high street names disappearing from town centres and independent businesses struggling to stay open councillors have suggested that the council needs to look at what can be done to help.

The council’s economic growth and development overview and scrutiny committee has agreed to establish a new inquiry into town centres.

This year has seen the loss of chains including Toys R Us, Carpetright, Poundworld and Maplin, while other established names including Marks & Spencer, Mothercare and New Look have been looking to cut the number of stores. Towns have also been hit by the closure of bank branches and Post Offices.

Mebyon Kernow councillor Andrew Long told the committee: “The main reason that shops are closing in town centres is that people are not using them and that is because they don’t feel they need them.”

Coun Long said the loss of services such as banks was also having an impact as it was just one more reason why people don’t feel the need to visit town centres.

He said: “We have now only got one bank left in our town and even that is coming under threat.

“If you are going to look at this it is not just looking at what towns need to do to stop people shopping elsewhere but why they are shopping elsewhere and what can be done to bring them back.

“Unless you offer something in the town centre then you won’t change anything.”

Councillor Tim Dwelly said there was already a lot of research which had been done to look at why people shop elsewhere and said that it was more important to look at what can be done.

He said: “The key thing for this for me is what happens and what Cornwall Council does as a result. Otherwise we are just talking.”

The committee agreed in principle to hold an inquiry and will have a report setting out the scope of the inquiry at its next meeting.