North East High Streets Commission has 'some fundamental issues' to face
Chronicle Live readers have been engaging in a lively discussion about the recent initiative aimed at rejuvenating struggling high streets in the North East. The commission, supported by an initial investment of £850,000, is designed to tackle the issues faced by town centres plagued with vacant shops, anti-social behaviour, and underinvestment.
Led by Mayor Kim McGuinness and an expert co-chair, the initiative aims to work closely with local communities to reverse the decline and restore pride in these areas.
An initial £850,000 has been pledged to establish a board tasked with revitalising town centres burdened by empty shops, anti-social behaviour, and underinvestment. Chiefs at the North East Combined Authority (NECA) express hope that the initiative will bring about long-term change that extends beyond immediate upgrades to individual streets.
READ MORE: Waitrose bringing back free coffee and you don't even need to buy anything
READ MORE: Then and Now: A classic view of the River Tyne bridges - and a very different location today
They aim to explore how new housing, more reliable public transport links, and other "catalysts for regeneration" can be delivered to compensate for the decline suffered as shoppers have increasingly turned to online retailers.
Chronicle Live reader DrjohnDee comments: "Crime and online shopping has killed these wasteland high streets. They have nothing to offer. The public voted with their feet years ago."
Bigbry1965 feels: "That's £850,000 wasted, unless she is going to ban Amazon, Ebay and other online retailers operating in the NECA area. There is already legislation in place where councils can take control of empty properties and rent them out to various organisations."
Ellsmam believes: "Gateshead was a canny place to shop but the one way system makes it impossible to get there."
Littlebutterfly says: "A commission is just a nice earner for the Councillors who sit on it and scratch their heads. You can’t blame retailers - it’s not the business rates as relief is high in Gateshead, but rents and utilities are high. The biggest problem is the high crime, carried out by a regular gang of drunks/druggies who constantly shoplift and hang around the area, abusive to all who pass. The police don’t even bother showing up anymore, yet the Station is less than 5 minutes up the road - no, they have more important things to do, apparently. You may as well bulldoze down everything around Trinity Square."
Ed2017 adds: "Maybe stop shafting them with Business Rates then." While Littlebutterfly replies: "The problem is not business rates (which are set by the Government) as business rate relief in Gateshead means that many businesses pay no rates at all. The real cost comes from rent and utilities. Added to the fact that there is a high crime rate on the High Street, it’s not surprising that no business wants to rent."
Laboured council mockingly states: "Gateshead going from strength to strength. So Gateshead council who have a years old rejuvenation plan for Gateshead apparently, but now they're going to a meeting about how to rejuvenating the high street at a cost of £850,000."
Facting thinks: "Boosting Cramlington and telling Blyth folk to shop there is never a great way to boost the shops in Blyth!"
Ims2912 says: "I applaud the effort, but there are some fundamental issues that we have little or no control over. High rents from greedy landlords, the poorer working people having less disposable income and our eagerness to buy from Far Eastern companies who can slash prices, being just three of them."
UClaudius feels: "High rents, more and more charity shops paying next to nowt selling all sorts, local authorities loathing of car drivers, on line shopping creating a generation too lazy to go to the shops, ropey public transport, every other shop taken over by vape shops, barbers, fast food and nail bars, hoy them in the mix and this commission will certainly earn their corn."
Blaaagh believes: "Drastically cut tax/rents for businesses in the high street is the answer, otherwise it will just carry on declining."
What do you think will save North East high streets? Join in the conversation HERE or in the comments below.