Mixed welcome for Portas report

Buy photos » Robin Richter, managing director of Rugby First, is not convinced Mary Portas has all the answers to boost the town's High Street. 03.09.113.jm1

SHOPPING guru Mary Portas' high profile review into the state of the High Street has met with mixed reactions in Rugby.

Ms Portas, the television presenter appointed shopping tsar by the current Government, has released a review offering her view on how the country's ailing town centre retail sector can be lifted from its current slump.

Among her recommendations were to prioritise the High Street over out of town retail parks, offer free car parking deals and reform business rates to encourage more start-ups.

But her comments have not convinced everyone associated with Rugby's retail sector.

Mike O'Connor, who runs J Parris Jewellers on Regent Street and represents the town's independent retailers, said it was 'stating the obvious'.

"They've got a celebrity to front their inquiry, but it hasn't revealed anything we didn't already know," he said.

"Mary Portas actually came into the shop when she visited Rugby and said how nice it was. I took that with a pinch of salt, but when she asked me what the High Street needed I told her, 'a level playing field'.

"We all know people are going out of town or online to shop and I won't criticise people for doing that. To get an equal footing we either need free parking, or charges for going out of town - it's that simple.

"There should be greater restrictions on these out of town developments, but this Government is doing the opposite by relaxing planning laws."

He added trade in Rugby this Christmas had been much better than expected, with other independents reporting the same.

Robin Richter, head of town centre management company Rugby First, felt the Portas review missed some of the barriers holding back town retailers.

"I was a little disappointed with her report. Big issues like low cost financing for first time entrepreneurs didn’t get a mention," he said.

"We still do not have a level playing field with out of town retailers. A 'town centre tax' should be levied against major out of town developers so that money can be put back into the town to safeguard its long term future. That also never got a mention."

But he did welcome other aspects of the report.

"I did like the bit about action being taken against absentee landlords and banks who own property in town centres but do nothing with them.

"Bearing in mind the state of local authority finances I think it’s a bit unrealistic for them to provide free car parking at the moment. In Rugby we only charge £1 for three hours.

"Signs so far show a quite positive for Christmas with many retailers reporting doing well. This may be to do with free car parking on all weekends leading up to Christmas."

The Federation of Small Businesses in Warwickshire welcomed Ms Portas' findings as showing where real change can be achieved, citing the focus on out of town planning restrictions, free parking and cheaper rates for new businesses as key to the High Street's survival.