WHAT can be done about the survival of St Helens as a realistic place to spend a pleasant day's shopping?

I would like to raise following points:

1. St Helens Council altered the road system so you couldn't come into town past the town hall. This gave you a choice of a tour around the back streets, which is fine if you know the town. If not, you have to take the scenic route to the other side of town. I have a business in the Hardshaw Centre that is down by 20 per cent since the roads were altered.

2. Church Square shopping centre has six card shops and as many phone shops, plus a number of empty units. I've tried to increase my business in other towns but the answer is always the same: "Sorry we already have a card/phone shop". If it's a big centre they may allow two in, but no more.

Having a multitude of one kind of shop is bound to put pressure on existing tenants. Competition is great, but too much and businesses fold, as was the case of one card shop recently. What a crying shame it had to be a family who had been trading in the town centre for 25 years. Forced out by high rates, high rents and worse of all the policy of allowing shop after shop of the same kind to open. They should follow the example of the Hardshaw Centre, which has a fine balance of shops, and a management that does all it can to keep it that way.

I have spoken to many of my customers and all say that they only shop in St Helens when they have nothing particular to get, otherwise they go into Liverpool, Warrington, Manchester etc. Somewhere that they have a choice.

So, what can we do to get the people back into the town? Large retail outlets outside of the town do not help and new wine bars and drinking establishments are all very nice, but not what shoppers are looking for.

Perhaps the powers-that-be should think about trying the following:

1. Cut business rates for existing tenants.

2. Give rates breaks to encourage new businesses into the town, especially those providing something different.

3. Give new businesses a chance -- reduce rents on empty units. This doesn't mean letting 'fly-by-nights' in, taking business off regular tenants.

4. Free parking for shoppers during normal shopping hours or free parking for part of the day or week.

5. Stop multitudes of one type of shop from monopolizing Church Square.

Church Square management and the council can help provide the answers. It may hurt their pockets short term but long term it can give us the thriving town centre that we deserve.

CONCERNED (name and address supplied).