COMMUNITY action is key in helping safeguard the future of high streets according to Professor David Evans, former chairman and a trustee of Civic Voice, the umbrella organisation for civic societies across the country.

Introducing a debate on how best to help our high streets at Haslemere Society’s annual general meeting on November 1, he talked about the radical changes and town initiatives taking place and successes achieved in towns, such as Barnes and Broadstairs.

Professor Evans said: “It is no good harking back to the mass retail-led model that was the norm.

“Town centres and high streets need to become activity-based community-gathering places, where retail is just one part of the range of offers and activities, along with green space, leisure, arts and culture, social services and housing.

“In Barnes it was decided to have a community workshop to bring local people together and ask them about what they should do.

“So there was a team made up of businesses, residents, community groups and councillors and they planned a visioning event to create a vision for the town that was led by the residents.

“They devised six projects and got 60 volunteers to help implement those projects. Since then, volunteers have been campaigning to try and make their high street a more interesting and refreshing place.

“The communities in Barnes and Broadstairs didn’t concentrate on trying to bring retail back in, but instead to make their town centres an interesting and lively place where people could congregate and carry out community activities.

“Walking around Haslemere, it became clear there are lots of towns that would dearly love to have the problems your high street has got, because there are not that many empty premises here, compared to many other shopping centres.”

Professor Evans was joined for a high street debate by four independent Haslemere retailers – Ian Rowley, owner of Haslemere Bookshop, Sahran Abeysundara, lead designer of Silk Road Interiors, Sarah Sims, co-owner of Plum Dress Agency, and Douglas Howard, co-owner of the West Street Post Office and RedH bar.

Panellists acknowledged the need to try harder in the face of the online threat, but claimed the battle could be won.

Mr Rowley said that after being voted best independent bookshop in the South East in 2016, his business had grown by 40 per cent; Ms Sims said it was all about developing strong customer relationships; Mr Abeysundara flagged up the high proportion of independent retailers, and Mr Howard stressed personal service and his support for local producers.