COLUMN: Support our High Streets otherwise no-one else will
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By Cllr John Divers
As an Elgin councillor, one of the issues raised with me most frequently over the years has been the state of Elgin High Street.
I’m often told that it’s not what it used to be – a shadow of its former self. Things have certainly changed since I first came to Moray 55 years ago. Gone are the City Arms, Woolies, Wimpy, and Coopers Fine Fare. Town centres the length and breadth of the country have been under threat for decades: first from out-of-town retail developments and gigantic supermarkets, and then from online retail; and that was before Covid came along.
Yet despite the changes, and an undeniably challenging retail environment, there’s a lot to love about our high street. Elgin High Street is in a far better position than most town centres, with premises vacancies less than half the Scottish average. Since we emerged out of lockdown, we’ve seen new businesses open – mostly locally owned and independent.
Despite this success, the cost-of-living crisis and looming recession is already taking its toll, which is why we need to step-up our efforts to support Moray’s town centres.
At a local level, Elgin BID has done great work to promote our town centre, such as the introduction of the Elgin Gift Card; sprucing up the High Street with new Christmas lights, planters, and seating; and promoting the town on social media.
The council had started to make progress dealing with Elgin’s seagull problem, although NatureScot has made that job much more difficult.
I’m often told that pedestrianisation is to blame for the High Street’s woes, but the evidence suggests otherwise. What we do need to consider, however, is parking. The ‘Free After 3’ parking scheme – which starts again this Saturday – has proved a great success in the run up to Christmas, but we need to rethink Elgin’s parking strategy more generally. Elgin town centre remains the only place in Moray with parking charges.
Councillors also need to stick to the policy of requiring businesses to demonstrate that there’s no suitable town centre premises available before approving out-of-town developments. I have always adhered to that policy, and I encourage my fellow councillors to do the same.
But much of which we need is in the hands of the Scottish Government. A bypass for Elgin would end the town’s image as a traffic nightmare.
Business rates are an analogue tax in a digital world, whereby high street businesses pay through the nose while online retailers pay next-to nothing. Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged to scrap business rates in England, to be replaced by a tax fit for the 21st century. The Government in Scotland should do the same.
But we all need to take ownership of our stake in our towns. The benefits of supporting local businesses are considerable. When we shop locally, 40 per cent of that money stays in the local economy. This helps to drive local employment, reduce our carbon footprint, and improve sustainability. It also helps to preserve our sense of community here in the north of Scotland.
I appreciate that many readers will do the bulk of their shopping this Christmas online. Before you do, pay a visit to Elgin High Street. You might be surprised what you find. If we don’t support our town centre, no one else will.
