CONCERNS regarding the future of Droitwich town centre were raised at the annual meeting on Monday night.
A resident expressed fears about the number of empty shops in the centre, claiming the offer was limited to mainly hair and nail salons, coffee and charity shops and takeaways.
He suggested introducing two hours of free car parking in the town centre to encourage more people to visit.
Droitwich mayor, Coun George Duffy, who was on the panel at the meeting, said: “High streets across the country are all struggling.
“We have free parking on the high street which hasn’t led to all the shops being open long-term.
“Most of the shops that do well are experience-based rather than retailers – that’s part of a change in shopping patterns we’ve seen across the country.”
He added the town council would be interested in seeing an evidence-based proposal regarding free parking, but as the car parks were run by Wychavon and it would be a matter for the district council.
Coun Richard Morris, who was acting as a member of the public at the meeting, said he would take the issue to a Wychavon District Council committee around the town centre.
The resident raised further concerns about a potential reduction in on-street parking proposed in the Droitwich town centre prospectus.
The document, drawn up by Wychavon District Council, looks into how to overcome the challenges facing the town centre.
It suggests there was an opportunity to reduce on-street parking and pedestrianise the high street, with the support of local businesses.
The prospectus said the pedestrianisation of the high street would create an attractive and vibrant space within the Town Centre, inviting more people to travel through the town by bike or on foot.
Alongside this, there would be an events programme and the opportunity for ‘pop-ups’ in some of the vacant buildings.
Coun Duffy said when the high street had been used for pedestrian events and free parking had been given in car parks, it offered ‘a lot to the town.’
Coun Morris added the town prospectus proposal would only happen if the traders and the public wanted it to.
