Thank you for highlighting the New Economics Foundation's Ghost Town Britain report, and its effects on local traders closing down because of rent rises (Oxford Mail, June 18).
Some readers might think that it doesn't matter. Indeed, other research shows that people put a premium on familiar national and international names and judge a town by the retailer "labels" it attracts.
Previous NEF research shows that thriving, locally-based businesses are crucial to the local economy.
Spend a pound in a multinational chain store and maybe 10p remains in the local economy, providing another local person with an income -- a supplier, employee or subcontractor. Spend that pound with a local business and up to 80p can remain local again and again.
Councils are supposed to "promote economic and social wellbeing", so you would have thought they could help relieve rent pressures on much-needed local businesses. But no, yet again, the Government insists that councils should get market rates for their investment properties.
With £1 in four spent in Tesco or Asda alone, competition for the rest of our loot is intense and chain stores have the edge.
We must find ways of levelling this cliff-face playing field in favour of local businesses if we can.
And that starts with landowners, public ones especially. Towns cannot live on Gaps alone!
JOCK COATS
Oxfordshire Community Land Trusts
Wardens' Lodgings, Morrell Hall, Oxford
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