South Norfolk Council say focus will be on services over retailers as Harleston regeneration project gets underway
Service-led businesses will be at the heart of Harleston’s new £750,000 regeneration project, South Norfolk Council has said – prompting concern from residents that it could lead to the decline of the town’s retail sector.
Speaking to Park Radio last week, the council’s market towns and business development service manager, David Disney, promised a more “experiential” town centre to meet the “seismic shift in the way people shop”.
The work, which aims to reduce through traffic and encourage shoppers to the town, finally got under way this month – but still divides opinion amongst people in the town.
Many worry that restricting access for motorists will have a crippling effect on retail in the town as it leaves shoppers unable to quickly nip in to buy goods.
Mr Disney added that retailers may no longer be a priority as more focus is put on creating a service-led economy.
“Let’s not forget that retail has changed,” said Mr Disney. “There’s been a seismic shift in the way people shop in the last 10 years and Covid has advanced that.
“So we’ve got to make our town centres more experiential and we have got to get people wanting to spend time in them.
“If that means having to do things differently to how we have done them in the past, then that’s what we’ve got to do.”
Mr Disney added that the work would act as a pilot for similar projects across south Norfolk.
“It’s a pilot in a way to make sure that we are getting these towns ready for this new town centre,” he said. “Thirty or 40 years ago, you wouldn’t be able to go down a town high street and buy a cup of coffee – nobody bought coffee.
“Trends change and we have got to make sure that our town centres are ready for that growth, and Harleston will be.”
David Bramhall, a resident of Gawdy Close who had led calls for the project to be blocked, said that Mr Disney’s comments were illustrative of how “out of touch” the council was with the wishes of its constituents.
“It discriminates against older people,” said the 80-year-old.
“Never mind the people who rely on the shopping centre for their everyday needs, those who live in the town or come in from the surrounding villages to go to the supermarket or buy a pair of shoes or a bag of nails.
“This is ignorant, arrogant social engineering by local council officers who are out of touch with the way ordinary country people lived in the past, continue to live in the present, and wish to live in future.”
Not all traders are in opposition to the plans, however. Earlier this month, dozens of business owners came into the town centre in a show of optimism over the plans.
Claire Myers-Lamptey, who runs The Old Post Office hotel in Old Market Place, said that, while she was initially sceptical, many are beginning to accept the reality facing high street businesses.
“At first, it was a matter of ‘why fix what isn’t broken’,” said Ms Myers-Lamptey, the founder of Harleston Retailers group.
“But the reason they are doing this is because there was a decline in the British high street, even prior to the pandemic.
“Whether people believe it or not, the incentive for getting in the car and driving somewhere has changed, so we are working with the council to keep the high street safe and nice for visitors.”