Our shopping habits have evolved significantly in recent years. Firstly, the shift to out-of-town retail parks and then the rapid growth of online shopping which has been turbocharged since the Covid 19 pandemic with more than 17,000 retail outlets closing in 2022. Even the large chains have not been exempt from this trend with many well-known names either disappearing completely or reducing their estate and withdrawing from some towns. Often criticised for making every High Street look the same the loss of these retail juggernauts and the reduction of footfall has resulted in many of their smaller independent neighbours becoming unsustainable and failing.

This combination of factors created a perfect storm with parts of many town centres turning into ghost streets with almost as many vacant as open stores. The outcome has highlighted a sense of loss of community and local culture and the uncertain future of our urban spaces.