WE NEED YOUR VIEWS: #yourtownyourfuture SURVEY LAUNCHED TO HEAR ABOUT THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON YOU AND YOUR LOCAL TOWN CENTRE

Audit Wales wants to hear what you think needs to change in your local town centre  

Audit Wales is looking at how well town centres across Wales are coping with the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. The review wants support from communities across Wales to find out how we can successfully regenerate town centres.

Town centres have been at the heart of Welsh society for over 150 years providing both essential services but also giving people a sense of belonging.  Some of our towns have thriving town centres whilst others have been in decline for decades. Then growth of on-line shopping and out of town retail has significantly impacted town centres in recent times.

COVID-19 has presented businesses, retailers, public bodies, elected members and council officers across the country with a new set of challenges and created uncertainty for all of us.

We know that to successfully regenerate our town centres and ensure people can access the services they need, businesses and services need to thrive. To help Audit Wales find out what it’s like on the ground, we need members of the public and businesses to provide their thoughts and experience on:

• What makes your local town a great place to visit and shop;
• What changes you would like to see happen in your local town; and
• What actions should be prioritised for the future.

The survey will run from Mid-November until the end of January. The information collected from the survey will help Audit Wales to understand the challenges and difficulties facing towns across Wales and will help inform our recommendations on what needs to be done.

You can complete the short, anonymous, survey by visiting our website where there are links to the survey and some further information.

Auditor General, Adrian Crompton said today: “Thriving town centres are an essential element to any community. There are over 140 towns across Wales that are having to adapt to the current challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and major changes in how people shop and visit their town centres. It is really important that we make the right choices in the future to ensure town centres continue to develop and adapt to changing circumstances. I urge people from across Wales to complete our survey and give us your views of your local town centre.”