Independents leading the way
The evidence seems that independents are the best hope of recovery for our towns. An Entrepreneurial British report from Sage showed that more than half of 18 to 24-year-olds who are planning to start a business are planning to do so in a real shop on a real street. Even more reason for local and national government to help the independents.
Mistakes over the past years by town planners in building town centres which contain the same multiples in town after town and very high rents, making it almost impossible for small retailers to open in them, are now showing through with large empty spaces and no hope of filling them at the rents that they are asking.
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Hide AdCould not Swan Walk shopping centre turn the dead end into small areas where small start- up independents could take on a short lease. That area has been dead for almost the 12 years that my curtain and carpet show has been in Horsham.
Town centres need the life put back into them and independents are leading the way, it just needs some thought and some sense put into the rents and rates that are being asked, especially by town centre managements.
IAN WOOD
Materialistic Curtains and Carpets, Glynde Place, Horsham