Category: Latest News

Liberal Democrats in Winchester & Chandler’s Ford have set out plans to revitalise Britain’s high streets, protect the future of the Post Office, and help small businesses establish and grow in a fairer marketplace.

The announcement comes as research shows one in eight shops is now empty after the recession. The report, published by the Local Data Company (LDC), says that vacancies shot up by 24% in the second half of 2009.

Vacancies in Winchester in December 2009 were 9.1% – below the national average of around 12.5% – in line with Basingstoke and Reading – better than Southampton (16.3%), but significantly worse than Salisbury (5.0%) and Chichester (5.7%).

Martin Tod, Prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Winchester & Chandler’s Ford said:

“Even though our vacancy rate is below average, we can’t afford to be complacent. Other cathedral cities like Salisbury and Chichester are doing much better than we are.

“Even before the credit crunch hit, we’d lost too many small independent shops from Winchester’s High Street.

“The Government’s skewed planning system has seen almost every high street in Britain end up as an identical collection of chain stores and coffee shops.

“We need a thriving high street in Winchester, one with real character that allows local businesses to survive and grow.

“Our economy has suffered from treating the City of London as the most important part of our economy at the expense of everything else. We need to give greater focus to small business. Small businesses are the biggest engine for new jobs and will be the key for building a healthy and distinctive High Street for Winchester.”

Commenting, Nick Clegg said:

“Thriving high streets are at the heart of local communities.

“But it has been our high streets that have borne the brunt of this recession, with boarded up shops scarring towns and villages across Britain.

“I believe that people value the wide range of goods and services available locally and want to see their high streets thrive and prosper.”

Enquiries by Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Martin Tod, have finally solved the mystery of the broken clock outside the old Guildhall (now Lloyds TSB bank) on Winchester High Street.

The clock is one of the most recognisable sights on Winchester’s High Street. Over the summer, the glass on one side of the clock shattered and was originally thought to have been damaged by vandalism, but clock specialists, Smiths of Derby, brought in by the City Council’s insurers have concluded that the damage is the result of deterioration of the clock face.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Martin Tod, uncovered the story when he wrote to the council asking when they intended to repair it and whether they could cover the broken side with bird-proof netting to prevent further damage:

“The Old Guildhall clock is a very recognisable and visible part of Winchester’s High Street. It’s important that it’s fixed sooner rather than later. Leaving something so visible unrepaired makes an unnecessarily poor impression and risks making people think we don’t care about our town.

I contacted the council to find out how quickly it could be fixed and what they were doing to stop further damage from birds and the weather while it remained open to the elements.

I’ve had tourists stop me in the street and ask why the town wasn’t getting the clock fixed. The last straw was when it looked like pigeons might be moving into it as well through the opening created when they removed the broken glass. It’s essential we look after our heritage. I’m glad it’s being fixed, but wish it could have been done sooner.”