Supporting our retail sector

The city’s unique retail offer, and what support it needs to continue to flourish, is to be considered by a cross party group of councillors over the coming months in a Scrutiny Panel.

For the first time the Scrutiny Panel process will be offering a live online chat facility so that contributors can give their views at their own convenience.

With one in eight of the city’s residents employed in retail, and the sector being worth around £375million per year, it is vital to the wellbeing of the city that our local retailers do well.

Over 180,000 people visit our shops every week; however with the continued growth of online shopping, a fragile economy nationally and competition between smaller local retailers and larger chains, many businesses are feeling the squeeze.

As part of the evidence gathering, retailers and local business experts are invited to share their thoughts with the Panel on Monday, 27 February, Thursday, 1 March from 6pm at the Jubilee Library or Tuesday, 6 March from 4.30pm at Hove Town Hall.

Sitting on the panel are councillors Gill Mitchell, Phelim MacCafferty and Carol Theobald. The chair of the scrutiny panel, Councillor Gill Mitchell, said: “Brighton & Hove has a unique retail sector of which we are rightly proud. The Panel is keen to listen to innovative ideas from businesses about how we can support the viability of our retail offer.
 
“We need to see how businesses are working together towards preserving the city’s unique shopping experience, involving independent retailers, multiple larger chain stores, landlords and prospective developers.”
 
If you would like to attend any of the meetings and wish to speak, or give written evidence, please use any of the means below, http://www.brighton-hove.public-i.tv/core/portal/BHRetailScrutiny, tweet #BHRetailScrutiny, email scrutiny@brighton-hove.gov.uk, call 01273 290451 or write to Support of the Retail Sector, Overview & Scrutiny, Brighton & Hove City Council, Kings House, R128, Hove, BN3 2SR.

Contact: Julie Harris, (01273) 291037