Having blogged about my thoughts on the state of the high street yesterday I was thinking about ways of reviving the high street. Of course, a lot of the issues are around the state of economy and depth of people’s purses but if we really wanted to make a difference I would start by looking at parking and trying to find ways of providing more parking and making it more affordable. I would then look at tightening up the rules around granting planning or licenses to ensure that there is a mechanic in place which limits the number of pawn brokers and charity shops. Alongside this we should be looking at minimal or no business rates for selected retailers and F&B outlets to encourage them to open on the high street. We could offer incentives to small local businesses such as bakers and butchers and try to recreate what was once in place.
I’m not sure how much of the above is wishful thinking but I think it’s not a bad place to start.
Finally, we must be able to come up with state sponsored alternatives to the likes of Wonga et al!
random outpourings 