The progressive depletion of the town centre
In the town centre in Wick, shop after shop is shuttered shut. “Even the Christian Charity Shop closed this summer”, said one resident to me. “We have to drive for hours to go to a shoe shop, now”, said Janet, another resident of the town.
Wick had a thriving town centre some years ago – until a Tesco supermarket opened its doors. “Initially, we were all very happy with it”, say some townspeople. As time went by, however, locals changed their shopping pattern to go more often to the larger supermarket for bulk purchases. The ensuing lack of business in the town centre forced stores there to close, resulting in an increasingly deserted space. While some businesses still thrive, it is not easy for them to keep their doors open.
The ironmonger will soon be shutting down and even the town’s oldest wood merchant – now in its fifth generation – will close business when Rob, the present owner, retires in a few years.
Prioritisation of investments
Yet the local administration in Wick does not seem to be inactive. Pavements are being widened and benches are being installed in the town centre. Outwardly, at any rate, investment in improvements is happening. Unfortunately, none of these projects seem to be the initiative of the local council, which has seen its budget depleted over the years, making it barely capable of managing itself – let alone regenerating the town centre.
Some locals, however, while content with improved pavements, consider this to be inappropriate prioritisation of spending. What use is improving pavements and installing benches when there is no business activity to bring people to the town centre? Unfortunately, the financing of these projects is often based on decisions made in Inverness by the Highland Council and other organisations cut off from the real needs on the ground.
Absent building owners contribute to decline
Another issue contributing to the decline of the town centre in Wick is building owners who have invested in property there, but do not seem to show interest in maintaining it. Many old buildings are damaged and falling apart, their facades exposing peeling paint and missing bricks.
Reenergising the town centre
Townspeople agree that investment in local businesses and supporting small shops would be the right way to reenergise the town centre. As would actions requiring building owners to keep up the maintenance of their properties. A town as beautiful as Wick with its rich history and fishing heritage could, with the right mixture of local governance, public funding and philanthropic contributions, revive and renew its town centre in many creative ways. This would be essential for encouraging business investment in the town, stimulating tourism, and creating a caring environment – one which would allow issues such as drug use, depression and juvenile delinquency, which are currently plaguing the population, to be reduced.
Today, Wick’s future, and that of many other similar small towns, is in the hands of those far away, who despite their best intentions, may not be aware of the real issues facing local populations. Broad brushing generic solutions may not be the best way to handle specific situations in these communities.
Andy Burnham’s proposal: empowering local councils
In his first speech as MP, PM-hopeful Andy Burnham mentioned conceding more power from the regions to local councils. While the details of how this concession would function are unclear for the moment – and drew justifiable concern from some MSPs in Holyrood – participatory budgeting at a local council level might offer a real solution to towns like Wick.
Ultimately, the question is, will those currently in control of the budgets delegate some of their power in favour of local councils and initiatives – or simply consider local input into their needs more actively – before these town centres become even emptier, ghost places, with a past as glorious as the future appears dismal?
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