Campaign urges people in NPT to support their local high street this week

Neath Port Talbot Council is backing a campaign encouraging people to support their local town centre during ‘High Street Week’ (19th to 26th September).

It aims to increase footfall and spending on the high street by demonstrating the range of services and experiences available, where people can also feel part of their communities.

Town Centres are important and vital aspects of Neath Port Talbot and one of the Council’s key priorities for improvement is to support and invest in our town centres  to promote economic growth and maximise job opportunities.

Multi million pound investments in regeneration programmes in the three major towns of Neath, Pontardawe and Port Talbot are supporting this focus on town centre and community regeneration.

The decline of the high street throughout the country has been a common news headline over the past few years, due to declining consumer spending, the emergence of online shopping and the increasing attraction of out of town retail parks. Despite these pressures, vacancy rates in Neath Port Talbot are well below the national average. According to the Local Data Company’s Half Year report for 2015, vacancy rates in Wales overall stand at 15%.

Recent surveys and figures show that there are significantly less empty shops in town centres in Neath Port Talbot. Vacancy rates are 7% in both Neath and in Port Talbot, and under 4% in Pontardawe.

Councillor Ali Thomas OBE, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council said: “Our towns have been at the centre of our way of life for hundreds of years. People gather there to do business, to trade, to meet friends, to eat and drink, to shop, and to enjoy themselves. They are at the heart of our community and are held in great affection”.

“The relatively low vacancy rates in our three main towns are testament to the Council’s policy of strategic investment in our town centres, and supporting them in order to make them attractive places for people to live, work and visit”.