Plan aiming to breathe life into high streets
THE Conservatives in Wales have launched a plan to help turn the fortunes of struggling high streets around .
Footfall in town centres has fallen by a fifth in the last five years, while the shop vacancy rate in Wales is 4 per cent above the UK average.
Wales also has one of the lowest business start-up rates of all the UK nations and regions.
And this includes small towns within cities, such as Morriston, Gorseinon and Mumbles.
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South Wales West AM Byron Davies said: Byron Davies AM, Shadow Minister for Transport and Regeneration, said: "The Welsh high street should be the bustling heart of a community, but sadly, too many are blighted by vacant and dilapidated shop fronts.
"While the rise of internet shopping and out-of-town shopping centres has impacted on local trade, our high streets have also suffered from neglect and a lack of leadership.
"The proposals Welsh Conservatives are publishing set out a bold and ambitious vision to regenerate our high streets.
"These can apply across Wales, including places like Gorseinon."
One of those proposals is to introduce a dual "business rate multiplier" for small and large businesses. It could see those with a rateable value of less then £12,000 a year have complete rate relief.
Mr Davies added: "It's not a Tesco tax aimed at the big supermarkets, it's just to create a level playing field. We are not against supermarkets.
"This is something that Gorseinon in particular has felt recently with the new Asda.
"Businesses have also raised the issue of the number of charities shops in town centres. I'm not being critical of charity shops, but traders do complain that charity shops are taking space with their 80 per cent rate relief.
"We also want to see more town centre managers. In cities like Swansea we would like to see a team of stakeholders and traders from the towns meet with the local authority and a central manager and work on what's best."
Issues raised to Mr Davies, the party's Shadow Minister for Transport and Regeneration, have also included parking, and he added: "A number of local authorities have experimented with expanding free parking, which is vital for older consumers and those with young children."
Comments
by siarad2
Saturday, October 27 2012, 2:34PM
“"Sorry...
You have rated this comment already."
No I haven't I've registered my vote but the rating doesn't show”
by siarad2
Saturday, October 27 2012, 9:54AM
“@weslangdon
i hadn't realised you want these people kicked out of jobs, which according to your previous postings makes you a Conservative, I trust you'll pay their lost wages.”
by weslangdon
Saturday, October 27 2012, 9:14AM
“siarad2hite; lots of low paid part time jobs might fool you but not me”
by siarad2
Friday, October 26 2012, 12:01PM
“@westlangdon
How can you say that when more people are employed than ever, it's increased at a faster rate than way back in the 1990s”
by Philosoraptor
Friday, October 26 2012, 8:59AM
“I dpon't like the Tories but one thing struck me:
"It could see those with a rateable value of less then £12,000 a year have complete rate relief."
That is a very good idea because many businesses in Wales (including South Wales where trade is bigger) have a rateable value below £12,000. When I did a year of business studies (dropped out to pursue other interests, right move?) rateable value was deemed as what a company can get or pays for rent of the premises.
Essentially, and even in today's ridiculously expensive housing market, local shops such as convenience stores, family owned bike shops, butchers stores etc are all in properties that are being rented for less that £12,000 or if they are owned and were to be rented they annual rent value would be less than £12,000.
Giving these small companies a rate relief would be a great move because it means they can strengthen their position and even employ more people. Even if the smallest of stores can only employ one more person, that is possible for all the different shops around in South Wales. It also holds the risk bankruptcy at bay. This is something that should have been brought in long ago... now let's see it happen, because words and actions are opposite things!”
by newsaffair
Thursday, October 25 2012, 7:49PM
“Most have seen new shopping schemes in or near their homes,the question should be asked "have we more or less shops to do our shopping". From my experience,there are more,so that reduces the need for the high st to maintain the top destination for shoppers.!!”
by Gwyddno
Thursday, October 25 2012, 4:32PM
“More proof that Regional AMs are a waste of space.”
by siarad2
Thursday, October 25 2012, 4:08PM
“Cut 20% from income tax releasing about £30b for people to spend, that'll help save the high street & boost the entire economy. Nearly half of this will be recouped in various taxes so a big boost for around £15b not forgetting the knock-on effect of more employment due to increased production.
Of course it may all go abroad via holidays & imports :-(”
by GorsseinonJoe
Thursday, October 25 2012, 11:25AM
“The people of Gorseinon fought long and hard to stop Asda being opened, when this failed Gorseinon changed. Sorry to say, the plan by Byron Davies would be too little too late as the Conservatives are unlikely to have power in Wales anytime in the future.
The truth is that local authorities, planning officers are helpless and impotent when the big boys come calling. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and even Morrisons now hold the power, if they pull out there would be a huge void that small shops could not fill.
So places like Gorseinon will continue to be sidelined and food outlets will be the only businesses that will take a risk of surviving next to any of the big supermarkets.
When a charity shop such as Tenovus close their doors and move out of Gorseinon, what hope for the rest?”
by weslangdon
Thursday, October 25 2012, 10:38AM
“Wind and bluster from the Party of Unemployment”