According to Statista 1/3 of consumers have said that their high streets are getting worse. This has provoked action in parliament, with the House of Lords Built Environment Committee conducting a public inquiry on this very matter.
Indeed, Shrewsbury School was tasked with aiding the peers in their pursuit of answers to this question. In a recent trip to Westminster year 12 politics students met with the Committee, giving suggestions of the problems which now riddle our high streets.
Substantive words were spoken with regards to crime and anti-social behaviour. A number of examples of people disclosing that they had been approached by individuals whilst wandering around the area, particularly in the evening.
Furthermore, it was suggested that the heritage of Shrewsbury town centre was wilting with the emergence of the, seemingly, ever present chains which now exist on the high street. Fundamentally, this issue was that such stores had replaced their independent, small business predecessors.
Proposals were also put forward suggesting that public spaces could be added to ensure a bustling and vibrant atmosphere was to be maintained in Shrewsbury. It was suggested that soft-drink bars, catered to young people, where sports are shown would invite the youth into the town centres more frequently, and resolve the issue of the desolate high street we have all come across during off-peak times.
Yet it was also made known to the committee that Shrewsbury High Street remains a lively atmosphere for the most patter, littered with many shops reminiscent of its history. For example, the Parade Shops and Shrewsbury Antique centre are but a few representing the heritage of the town.
Yet, this historic atmosphere is compounded by the scale of modernisation. This modernisation is ever present on Pride Hill, with the [LW2] modernisation embodied by the Darwin Shopping Centre.
This multi-level shopping centre is but a brisk walk from a statue of its namesake, that being Charles Darwin, yet another echo of Shrewsbury’s past, while ensuring that modern commodities are provided for, which secures the town’s and the high street’s future.