Local MP's Support City Centre Development

14.11.2011

At the Partners in Progress annual MP's lunch I had the opportunity to raise the Mary Portas Review of the High Street and ask our Members of Parliament how they thought Wolverhampton could benefit.

All three MP’s, Pat McFadden, Paul Uppal and Emma Reynolds, said that they were pleased things were finally moving ahead in the city centre and welcomed strong leadership from the City Council. They acknowledged that problems with empty shops and the growth of out of town and internet shopping were national problems and there might be no quick fix from the Review.

I was certainly encouraged by their support and understanding of the issues and whilst the jury might be out on the benefits or otherwise of two massive supermarkets on the edge of the city centre, all agreed we had to move forward and look for ways of improving the leisure facilities, restaurants and the family offer so that the city centre was not just about retail.

The High Street Review was due to report in the autumn, I am not at all surprised it has been delayed – there are a lot of issues to tackle and government support to ‘Save our High Street shops’ will be welcomed from villages to city centres.