Gareth Davies MS has highlighted the decay of many high streets across his constituency, the Vale of Clwyd.
In an exchange with the First Minister, Gareth repeated concerns shared by the local community in Denbighshire at the high rate of long-established family business closing across the region which he argued is “symptomatic of an ailing local economy.” He put to the First Minister that small businesses have been left “high and dry” which has led to a decline in the vibrant diversity of traders on the high street which have been replaced with a high volume of cash-only traders of a similar type which inflames concerns amongst the community due to the link to criminality that has been highlighted by the National Crime Agency. This association, he argues, also does a disservice to small enterprises such as barbers, operating legitimately within a highly unregulated industry.
Gareth then called for greater Welsh Government support for the Welsh high street by providing a higher rate of business rate relief which was cut in last year’s Welsh Government budget, so the decay of the Welsh high street can be reversed.
The First Minister responded by pointing to Welsh Government investment in the Queen’s Market in Rhyl, however, Gareth has pointed out subsequently that this market is still sitting empty, and Rhyl’s high street is seeing higher rates of vacant commercial properties every year.
Following the exchange, Gareth said:
“The decay of high streets across North Wales is a major concern that constituents raise with me regularly with the vibrant and diverse range of businesses that operate on our high streets declining, with shops ending up boarded-up, or as cash-only outlets in highly unregulated industries.
“Our high streets are becoming depressing places to venture down, and the First Minister batting away my question shows that this is not a problem the Welsh Government is concerned with.
“Her claim that Rhyl’s local economy has received more than its fair share of support due to an investment in the still vacant Queen’s Market, is an insult to the local people who are experiencing the struggling economy first-hand.
“The First Minister needs to reinstate the higher level of business rate relief immediately to take the yoke off small community businesses and allow them to thrive once more.”
