Mary Portas's High Street Review Any Help to Melksham?
By sashahes | Wednesday, December 14, 2011, 15:21
Anybody read Mary Portas's recommendations on how to save our high streets? Her review is available by clicking here.
Portas, our very own Queen of Shops, also makes 28 points she feels would help local high streets from falling from popularity and use.
Of the 28 points she makes in her summary, the brains behind Melksham retail are already putting into practice a good few, in one form or another:
Point 1. Put in place a "Town Team": a visionary, strategic and strong operational management team for high streets; Tick!
Point 10. Town Teams should focus on making high streets accessible, attractive and safe: Tick!
Point 16. Large retailers should support and mentor local businesses and independent retailers: Tick!
Point 24. Run a high profile campaign to get people involved in Neighbourhood Plans: Tick!
Point 25. Promote the inclusion of the High Street in Neighbourhood Plans: Tick!
Several other points Portas made need government legislation to put into practice; such as reducing red tape to free up high-street deregulation, making business rates work better for the local community at ground level, or, best of all, making all large new developments have a "affordable shops" quota.
Although much of Portas's report is grounded in good sense, national retail habits have changed; many of us shop online – and it's noticeable that most forward-thinking Melksham retailers have a big online presence – The Roundhouse, Paul Horne, Lovejoys, Gamingalore, Komix! are just a few – but it's also true to say that our high street has not been helped by insensitive local authorities, all the parking problems and the previous lack of community focus.
Also some shop keepers need to raise their game, smarten up their windows and stick to consistent opening hours. Still others need to show a little more community spirit and join in the push to get Melksham back on its feet as a thriving rural town.
Comments
I couldn't agree more and wanted to make the point that in a way Melksham has a head start on some other towns because so many innovations have been put in motion already.
By sashahes at 15:47 on 14/12/11
ReportI have spent the last 24 hours using any spare time I have reading this review - it's absolutely fantastic, and while there are a lot of the recommendations in the review that are already being explored and implemented in Melksham, it doesn't mean we can't do more. The review is a basis for start the brains storming, and explore the options that would suit the towns in question. I for one am very interested in what this means for Melksham and how we are going to use it to make positive, appropriate improvements in Melksham that benefit those who really matter - the people that actually use the town, and the ones who want to use it, as well as making others aware that we are here!
By KomiX at 15:34 on 14/12/11
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