Town centre key to trade

A NATIONAL organisation has called on the Government to focus on town centres to solve productivity problems.

The Association of Town & City Management says the Treasury must adopt a greater focus on town and city centres. The call came after figures showed how town centres are home to one in four UK firms and contribute nearly £600billion to the annual economy.

Shanaaz Carroll, interim chief executive at ATCM, said: “With a third of the UK workforce in town centres it’s time we recognised them as an essential part of our infrastructure that must be given a higher priority by the Treasury.

“Things like the New Roads Fund, Crossrail 2 and the Northern Powerhouse got a mention in the Government’s summer budget but what about the places where so much of our economic activity actually happens?”