Town's high street needs diversity (From Harwich and Manningtree Standard)

Town's high street needs diversity

2:00pm Wednesday 20th February 2013 in Harwich and Manningtree News By Lorraine Price

DIVERSITY is said to be the spice of life, but it could also be the answer to saving the high street.

Themed markets, events, and a range of shops are what is needed to bring shoppers to Dovercourt, according to Harwich and Dovercourt Partnership chairman Lesley Pollard.

She spoke about the future of the town centre in the wake of another of Harwich’s historic stores closing its doors. “We need diversity to bring people in to the town,”she said.

Free parking for residents in council-owned car parks and a Friday street market have helped the footfall of the high street.

But Lesley said more is needed to help keep shops open and revive the town centre.

“Someone at one of our meetings said we need to treat the high street as a mini retail park,” she added.

“We should have diverse shops and other interesting things going on. “Some retail parks have continental markets and things like that.

“I think that is a good idea.

“We need to make the town a place people want to go to.”