Doing my bit……
My business is based in Taunton, county town of Somerset. It is a fairly large town with a sprawling shopping area that has evolved rather than been designed with any identifiable centre, and, as with most towns now, has a fair amount of empty, ugly, dated buildings no longer fit for the large shops that we used to find in our towns.
The council developers are planning to build a new development on one of the carparks to introduce yet more shops, restaurants and coffee outlets, whilst seemingly ignoring the infrastructure that we have already available. I think this is the wrong way to improve our town. The existing aeas will just become more dilapaded, and the small independants that give character to the town will not be able to afford rents in brand new developments, meaning that we will have yet more chain coffee shops, restaurants and cheap/mid-range chain stores that Taunton is already awash with. I think the council should support new enterprise and value the small independants and the life, character and people they bring into our towm. My letter to the local Somerset County Gazette;
