This article was written by Damian and published in this week's Petersfield Post and Herald editions:
"One thing lockdown and shielding really brought home to us was how fundamental social interaction is. Going shopping is about a lot more than stocking up on provisions. It is about being part of a bigger whole – a community, an economy, a society.
Being in town is also about experiences. It’s about the window displays, the smell of the bread and the coffee, a chance to check things out, pick them up, try them on. Yes, Amazon is convenient – but there’s nothing like a good local bookshop.
Our town and village centres are a part of who we are. We all remember from our childhoods: the town characters, the market traders’ calls, the quirky stores, the places you might stop for a special treat.
And they are obviously a key part of our local economy – providing vital employment, and opportunities to start up in business.
Here specifically, we are fortunate to have a great range in our town centres, from unique independent outlets to branches of national brands.
We’re fortunate, too, to have such active civil society, with traders’ bodies and voluntary groups, with the town and district councils, and local media – the Herald and Post – all seeing the health of our commercial hubs as a shared endeavour.
One aspect visitors to East Hampshire are struck by is the events calendars: there is always something going on, from Jane Austen Regency Week in Alton, through the Liphook Carnival and the Petersfield Festivals and Awards, to the Post and Herald Motor Shows.
We are indeed fortunate. We have something very precious – but it needs our care and support.
Our high streets and town centres were undergoing fundamental change before the pandemic arrived – primarily to do with online shopping. Whilst the pandemic has shone a spotlight on how important town centres and their enterprises are to our local communities, it has also dealt a great blow, and probably accelerated some of that trend.
Actually, the way that local businesses stepped up in double quick time to change their business, and serve the needs of our community, was amazing. This paper highlighted many of them. On the web listing I made early on in lockdown, delivereasthants.info, I thought there might be a couple of dozen local stores. There were over 60 (as well as another 30+ doing hot takeaways), delivering everything from fruit & veg and groceries, to pet food and hardware.
That shows the creativity and the flexibility of our local businesses – and their commitment to serve this community. They need our support, too.
The growth of online shopping is not going to suddenly reverse – people will continue to enjoy the convenience for many things (and of course that in itself creates employment and opportunities locally). But we know that town centres themselves are central to community-building.
I know that the rates reliefs for the retail and hospitality sectors have been vital for many businesses. I think it’s right both that there is to be a full re-appraisal of the business rates system; and also that the Digital Services Tax is coming in for the big online retailers, to re-balance the playing field somewhat.
The specific challenges of the pandemic for local areas have been supported by the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund. Government-backed loans have been a lifeline for many, with more than 2,000 loans in East Hampshire, from the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan and Bounce Back Loan schemes, providing £83 million of financing.
But of course most important of all is footfall and the revenue that comes with it. Alton, Bordon, Petersfield, Liphook, Liss and the villages have so much to offer. And a huge amount of effort has been done by businesses for customers to be able to shop safely and with confidence.
I wholeheartedly support the ‘Stay Safe, Shop Local’ campaign being run by the Herald and Petersfield Post, together with East Hampshire District Council. Particularly in the all-important pre-Christmas trading period, I hope local residents – and from further afield – will find many familiar favourites and new surprises in East Hants outlets."
