The timeline set out in this document suggested that between
2009 and 2012 “plans will have been approved for improvements to (Midsomer
Norton) town centre” and between 2012 and 2015 the “development and enhancement
of Midsomer Norton town centre, and new business space on the edge of town”,
will be underway. Moving on to 2015 and 2018 “the redevelopment of Midsomer
Norton town centre and its new modern business space” will be continuing.
The case for investment in the redevelopment of the town
centre, even a decade ago, was stark. The Midsomer Norton Town Centre Economic
Regeneration Delivery Plan[2]
described the town centre as providing “a range of retail outlets, a library,
and leisure facilities and caters for the majority of the local service needs
in the Somer Valley area attracting frequent shoppers from its catchment
population of over 46,000. Reinforcing the town as the service destination for
the rural hinterland is a key priority for this plan”.
Yet despite all B&NES rhetoric,
the lack of any meaningful investment in the development of the town centre led
to the Midsomer Norton Community Trust, Midsomer Norton Society, the Somer
Valley Chamber of Commerce and Midsomer Norton Town Council calling a joint
meeting in 2017 to discuss ideas and proposals to ‘reclaim’ and rejuvenate
Midsomer Norton High Street[3].
Following that meeting, I
undertook to support the Journal with a shopper survey[4],
designed to understand more about residents shopping habits across the Somer
Valley. I’m proud to say the shopper survey proved instrumental in securing funding
from the West of England Combined Authority’s “Love Our High Street” scheme in
2018[5],
but there was so much more that the insight from this project could have
achieved.
That said, the Pandemic has
had its own fundamental impact on the future of High Street development, particularly
the retail sector and whilst many of the trends highlighted by the shopper
survey are applicable today, the impact of Covid and the Cost of Living Crisis
have had a profound impact on shopping behaviour, in a way we couldn’t have
appreciated in 2017.
On a positive note, the main
recommendation from the shopper survey has finally been implemented by Midsomer
Norton Town Council, with the creation of their High Street Working Group. Back
in 2017 I suggested “B&NES, working with Midsomer Norton Town Council and
the Somer Valley Chamber of Commerce” should work together to develop a
strategic retail offering for the town. On June 5th, this year, Cllr
Shaun Hughes proposed “to set
up a High Street Working Group to review our High Street economy and recommend
short, medium and long term strategies to stop and reverse the decline, create
economic growth and improve footfall. Working with both B&NES and WECA to
find financial and strategic support. Also creating a group for traders,
business and premises owners within the High Street to provide key knowledge
and feedback to the process”.
It is important to remember that Midsomer Norton is not alone
amongst Market Towns in fearing for the future of it’s High Street and a great
deal of research has been undertaken, post-pandemic, to understand the
challenges High Streets face. Over the next two weeks I’ll explore what this
research can tell us about the economic difficulties faced by our High Streets,
not just in the South West but across the country and what strategies can be
used to address this decline.
[1] https://www.communityplanningtoolkit.org/sites/default/files/BathandNESomersetSustainableCommunityStrategy.pdf
[2] https://democracy.bathnes.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=4756
[3] https://mnct.co.uk/reclaim-msn/
[4] https://www.mnrjournal.co.uk/news/early-days-but-plans-begin-to-develop-in-helping-midsomer-nortons-high-street-272911
[5] https://www.mnrjournal.co.uk/news/could-weca-funding-be-the-key-to-reviving-our-high-street-276040
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