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Press Release

London Assembly's small shops report backs wrong solution

28 July 2010

The difficulties that some small retailers face are not the result of failings with the planning system.

Reacting to the London Assembly's Cornered Shops report, published today (Wednesday), the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said it welcomed the focus on supporting small shops but feels a more effective solution would be improving local trading conditions.

Tom Ironside, British Retail Consortium Head of Business Environment, said:

"Independents are a vital part of the retail mix. The latest UK figures show there's been a 5.6 per cent increase in independent retail stores in a year, with butchers, bakers and fishmongers showing particularly strong increases.

"Ultimately all the power in retailing rests with customers. They decide which retailers thrive.

"National planning policy favours a town centre first approach. What's really needed is concrete action to support local trading environments. This includes improving parking and giving more priority to tackling all forms of retail crime, as highlighted in our 21st Century High Streets report."



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British Retail Consortium

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