Town Centre Learning Network

Town centres have come up the political agenda witnessed by the £60m regeneration fund.

Priorities over next 12 months.

1. Understanding performance of individuals Town Centres
2. 2. Town centre strategies.

The seminars sought to compile a wish list of things that could be productive. It is clear that the high street is suffering from changes in retail, there are now too many shop units. Supermarkets are now the new department store. Many high street units are now the wrong shape for modern retailing.

Consumer by passing high street to go to regional centres. Paisley suffers from proximity of Glasgow City Centre, Braehead and Silverburn.

Parking in any town centre is a huge problem. Inclement weather makes this particularly pertinent. Non-food items sales are 14.6% on internet, in some cases up to 30% of these non food sales. Shopping centres are falling apart, need any element of residential.

Change in rates application from April will make Town centre trading even more difficult. Points were made about how unfriendly shops can be when customers seeking tea time solutions. Some shops treat potential customers between 4.30 and 5.30 as nuisance.

Much comment was made of the effect of allowing supermarkets to continue building large units on the edge of town centres. The Love Street Tesco is an example of site with planning permission for an 80,000 sq ft that has potential to blight Paisley Town Centre.

It was suggested that a longer term, say 20 year vision but most felt that retailers did not have that amount of time.

Town centres possibly need a champion/guru to liaise between retailers and authorities. Delivery is crucial. The Paisley seminar asked for an experienced professional to take a lead and make others accountable for getting things done.

Suggestion that funding to establish e-commerce sites should be accelerated to high street traders to augment sales.

Conclusion: Something needs to happen at a strategic level.