Garry Cullen appears to be behind the curve when it comes to the future of the High Street (Letters, June 17).

Hereford is not the only town suffering.

According to the Financial Times the decline of British town centres has been decades in the making.

Vidhya Alakson, who sits on the government High Street Task Force wrote in December 2020: "The impact this year of two national lockdowns, a constantly shifting tier system, increased homeworking and the growth of online shopping has battered high streets further.

"Unless the Government takes action to support a radical rethink they may not survive.

"Chain retail can clearly no longer be the backbone of the high street.

"Instead, we need to rebuild on the back of local and independent businesses that are committed to their areas, deliver a diversity of services and enable communities to come together and connect.

"According to data from the Task Force, 'multi-functional' town centres that are dominated by such businesses have seen footfall hold up better compared to city centres where chains dominate. Smaller independent shops and community businesses should therefore have a viable future."

Herefordshire’s coalition administration may be dreamers as Garry suggests, but the dream is committed to empowering our communities and businesses and creating vibrant town centre economies.

Research on spending shows that for every £1 spent with a small or medium-sized business, 63p stays in the local economy, compared to 40p spent with a larger business.

Cllr Toni Fagan
Green Party
Herefordshire