Following on from yesterday's blog, the main headline in the local newspaper, The Visitor, is "Closed Down Town". Shops and businesses are closing in Morecambe. I know this happens everywhere but "Morecambe came fifth in a league table for having the most empty shops in the country". Our new Tory MP blames the previous Labour government for the lack of regeneration in the town along with the need for a sign pointing to the shops. A local shopkeeper reckons that a lack of parking has been the problem.
Signs are nice and they may influence some people to go to local shops. I would place this low in my list of causes. I don't think you have to look to far for the main cause. People struggle to get to Morecambe - see the blog on the 11th September. It doesn't matter whether it is a manufacturing business, a theatre or a local shop, you wouldn't choose to travel to Morecambe because a journey that should take five minutes takes thirty-five.
Businesses are struggling everywhere but there is nothing significantly different about people from the Morecambe and Heysham peninsula. You have to look for specific local reasons for local failures in the economy. You don't have to look too hard.
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And by the time people get into Morecambe they are ripped off on the car parks!
ReplyDeleteSurely a lower tarriff would work better. It is possible to get round banks and shops, the ones that are open, quite quickly, but the parking puts people off. After all, there are some really nice cafes, if parking was cheaper, people would spend more time in Morecambe, which would have the positive effect of boosting commerce. After all, Gartsang, just a few miles away is a busy market town, much smaller, but more reasonable parking.
I rarely pay for parking. Walking is good for me and I don't mind walking at all. I went to Lancaster last night and saw that one car park was full with everyone paying £1. I paid nothing and it was easier for me to get away from the theatre.
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