The comments in regard to the level of parking charges in Chippenham, and the rationale that they are the factor that’s driving shop closures and lack of shopping visits to town centre shops, is to miss the point as to why the town centre and high street is failing.

Chippenham High Street and town centre is failing for the following reasons.

1) When NWDC or their successors signed off on plans for out of town supermarkets, they damaged town centre shopping. Any analysis could have told them these effects.

2) This was compounded by further permissions to add stores like B&Q, Wickes, Comet etc, further destroying the ability of the high street to attract shopper visits and money.

3) The Internet shopping industry, and changes in the music, publishing, entertainment, and retailing experience are destroying the “bricks and mortar” stores in industries where automation is able to deliver products or services electronically.

4) The high street buildings, and shop fronts, have been allowed to degenerate. In many continental towns and cities shop fronts are regulated to conform to the colour, style and materials of the area, and you have a consistent authentic look to the area.

To turn it around, Chippenham needs to look at making it attractive.

Chippenham needs to aim to be known for something, like Tetbury is known for antiques. Chippenham is in the middle of a major farming region, it should focus on markets selling locally produced foods.

Further tidying up the centre and making it attractive by planting trees in the streets, cleaning some of the more impressive stone buildings and removing graffiti quickly, along with some restrictions on fast food outlets, would help create a cleaner, more attractive environment.

Wiltshire Council could exercise some imagination and defer rates for a period of time, for new retail investors, and give existing outlets discount to help them at this very difficult time.

Without a serious strategy for Chippenham, it will degenerate into shopping for the low income demographic, with value brand retailers, and charity shops, which is not an attractive view to look forward to.

J Corbett, Park Lane, Chippenham.