Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Moss
What Accrington Town Centre could do with is some form of masterplan to attract some of the bigger retailers.
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I seem to recall the Idiot in Chief splashing out oodles of cash on just such a plan a couple of years ago, commissioned from some flash Manchester agency. Can it be that it is out of date so soon?
One of the main problems is that the bog standard response of the council and private landlords to falling revenues is to raise rents. The creation of a trading zone in the centre of town where rents and business rates are limited would have a profound effect on the viability and longevity of business start-ups and make Accrington once more into an attractive business proposition. And don't tell me it can't be done, there are ways and means around every legal obstacle (rate holidays, rent holidays, rent subsidies, etc etc). The Council should be the primary enabler when it comes to business, not the major hurdle.