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As a shop proprietor ( Objet d’Art) in my eleventh year of trading in Dingwall, I have read with interest the various letters, reports and comments regarding the health of our town centre.
Despite the generally expressed sentiments of doom and gloom regarding the retail centre of Dingwall I feel that we need to keep the position in perspective and work towards the recalibration and regeneration of our High Street.
Mr Telfer’s (Letters, July 28) observations are correct but it should be noted that Dingwall has less than the national average of unoccupied shop premises (11.5 per cent against 15.7 per cent) so all is certainly not lost.
The problem in Dingwall is that the empty premises are clustered together at the top end of the High Street and are the larger units vacated by national chains and The Highland Council. This group of vacant units is sore on the eye and gives a very poor and unjustified impression of the health of the town, especially to the first time visitor.
To further compound the problem the impending closure of RBS will add another substantial ex bank premises onto the empty list to accompany those once occupied by TSB and Clydesdale Bank.
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We will need our elected representatives to work pro-actively with the local authorities in discussions with the landlords of these larger premises to find ways of subdivision and encourage new start-ups or charitable/community ventures.
If necessary it may be prudent to look at conversion to residential stock. They cannot be allowed to simply stand and rot, like the old Commercial Bar, which is dangerous and nothing short of a disgrace , having sat derelict in the centre of the High Street for what must be 20 years-plus.
Conversely the middle and lower end of the High Street with Tulloch Street is near fully occupied with an eclectic range of independent shops and restaurants which continue to trade in a buoyant and enthusiastic manner.
The fabric of the building stock in Dingwall is in parts (very) poor and neglected but it has been great to see the campaign on social media, led by Cllr Sean Kennedy, galvanising the shop owners to take personal responsibility for their premises frontage and smarten up general presentation of their units. These little things really matter, make a difference and, together with the wonderful volunteer-supported flower baskets, it shows that the town can be made to look so much better.
I have recently attended meetings with other retailers and there is a real desire to form a traders association, a move fully supported by our local councillors, which will aim to work with other interested local organisations to explore ideas that will edge towards reversing the decline. Already some inventive and interesting ideas are being discussed and support funding avenues explored. David Richardson (FSB) summed it up with aplomb, “simply to do nothing is not an option”.
We need tangible, achievable and measurable metrics, not sound bites!. There is much work to do and the economic climate may yet see more casualties, but with effort, goodwill and support of the many people that live in or visit Dingwall, I am sure this can be pulled round.
William Powrie
Moorlands House
Dingwall
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www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk
Let’s stay positive on town High Street and community spirit
A LETTER writer’s comments on the empty business premises witnessed on Dingwall High Street prompted plenty of comment and a follow-up article in the Ross-shire Journal that sounded out some local representatives and invited views from the public.
‘From the huge volunteer and community effort across the board, to the numerous small independent businesses that invest and employ, the great customers (local & visiting) who value and are happy to support them, and those who currently work in the public sector, there are other views out there.
‘Yes, the town has lost some nationals who occupied the larger units in quick succession recently, but there is still life on the High Street and wider town.
‘Dingwall is at a time of rebalance and reinvention, as are most town centres, and it would be great if all these angles could be given equal press please. Thank-you to all those that do their bit, you are appreciated.’
– The Alchemist Gallery, Dingwall
‘Yes we are suffering like many towns in Scotland with our bigger stores closing and leaving huge gaps but we have some wee treasures of shops in Dingwall. We have lovely gift shops – two book shops, three butchers, a greengrocer, chemists, tailor and a sewing shop, a model shop and many more and we have long-standing shops like Crawfords and Macdonald’s.
‘To top it all we have stunning flowers on our High street cared for by a small group of volunteers who work very hard all year round attending them.
Dingwall and Seaforth councillors are working with the Traders to set up a Business Association and we will continue to do all we can to help our Town remains a welcoming and pleasant town loved by many.’
– Councillor Margaret Paterson.
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