1 in 12 shops in King’s Lynn is now empty, according to new research highlighted by local Liberal Democrats.

A report on shop vacancies, published by the Local Data Company (LDC), says that 8.2% of shops are now unoccupied in the town centre. Across Britain, the vacancy rate has shot up by 24% in the second half of 2009.

The report has led the North West Norfolk Liberal Democrat group to set out plans to revitalise local town centres, protecting the future of the Post Office and helping small businesses grow in a fairer marketplace.

The Vibrant Local High Streets report, published last week the Liberal Democrats, calls for changes to planning rules to ensure local independent shops are taken into account when considering new retail developments. The Lib Dems are also calling for business rates to be reformed, a cut in red tape for small businesses and more opportunities for the Post Office to develop new business.

Parliamentary spokesperson for North West Norfolk Liberal Democrats William Summers said:

“The Government’s skewed planning system has seen supermarket giants squeeze the life out of market towns and now almost every high street in Britain is an identical collection of chain stores and coffee shops.

“These new figures tell me that small businesses in West Norfolk need more support to make sure they not only survive now but are also able to grow as the economy recovers.

“The financial crisis has hit many local businesses hard, and the decision by the Conservative borough council to hike up parking fees in Lynn and Hunstanton has been another slap in the face for traders and shoppers.

“The Liberal Democrats understand that small businesses are key to rebuilding a healthy economy. Our plans would make a real difference to those living and working here.”

UPDATE 19 Feb 2010: Read more about this story in today’s Lynn News

Tags: empty shops, hunstanton, king's lynn, shop vacancies, vibrant local high streets

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 at 12:01 am and is filed under Economy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.