A councillor has met with a Channel 5 star after a recent video sparked conversation about the future of the high street.
Councillor Dan Morehead met with Rick Gannon on Wednesday afternoon (July 29) for a walk around Kidderminster town centre to talk about the council’s plans for its future.
Rick’s recent videos on the state of high streets across the country had sparked debate about their future with the council calling the meeting a “great opportunity to broaden that conversation further”.
In a post, Wyre Forest District Council said: “We all know Kidderminster town centre faces real challenges, and these aren’t unique to us. Across the country, changing shopping habits, online retail, consumer behaviour and private property ownership have significantly altered our high streets.
“However, we are committed to regenerating and improving our town centre. We’ve invested millions of pounds in regeneration, and we’re working with partners including Kidderminster BID, Kidderminster Town Council, local businesses and property owners to create a vibrant, mixed-use town centre with retail, leisure, culture, hospitality, housing and employment, supported by better public spaces.”
Rick Gannon has posted a new video of his meeting with Councillor Morehead, where he told him Kidderminster was the “worst” town centre he had visited in terms of having the most closed shops.
When asked why there were so many closed shops, Councillor Morehead said: “I think that there are three factors here. The pandemic has probably accelerated some of that transition to omnichannel retail and that is drifting towards online more than ever, so that naturally puts a challenge on the viability of shops and consumer habits within that changing.”
This was echoed by the council’s post where it said there are three key influences on the success of high streets, including the government, local councils and the private sector.
The council added: “People often raise the issue of business rates. These are set nationally by the government, assessed independently by the Valuation Office Agency. What we and other local councils do to help is promote relief schemes and support businesses to establish and grow.
“Parking is another issue we hear about regularly, and we understand how important it is to people. We must make choices, as parking income helps pay for car parks, public services and infrastructure, so we must strike the right balance for all taxpayers.
“Another challenge is that most of our empty shops are privately owned. We are working to attract investment and work with landlords, developers, businesses, and major retailers by creating the right conditions for further investment. The arrival of Nando’s at Riverside Walk demonstrates that this approach can succeed.”
Later in Rick’s video, Councillor Morehead showed him around Weavers Wharf and spoke about the “really good” uptake in that part of the town, including the introduction of Nando’s on Riverside Walk and the “fantastic” mix of shops.
The council said the future success of town centres is about “creating places where people want to spend time with housing, leisure, hospitality, culture and jobs alongside retail”.
This is the vision for the Lion Fields development as well as the delivery of Talbot Park.
The council is currently securing a Joint Venture partner for Lion Fields and is working with partners to deliver a programme of events and activities to increase footfall and support local businesses in the town centre.
The council said: “People are right to care passionately about Kidderminster, and so do we. It needs everyone to pull together and work together to recognise and celebrate the positives and to develop the opportunities.
“If we do this collectively, we have every chance of making our town centre a great place to live, visit and work.”
