Local MP Kevin Foster spoke in the debate on BHS entering administration last night, asking Minister for Small Business Anna Soubry MP what more can be done to support town centres and encourage investment.
As most of you will be aware, the large BHS anchor store on Union Street has been an ever-present feature of Torquay for many years. The uncertainty facing the store's employees, and the company as a whole, highlights the need for urgent and innovative regeneration of our town centres, as to continue as we are will only lead to further decline and the potential loss of further jobs in the Bay and around the country.
Kevin issued a statement yesterday saying:-
'This is sad news and my first thoughts are with the local workers and their families who will be affected by this. Whilst BHS has been in trouble for some time, the loss of a large anchor store in Union Street highlights the need to put real urgency behind plans for regeneration of our town centres. Just hoping things will return to what they were like in the past is not an option, no change means further decline. Later today I will be calling on the Government to provide support for town centres hit by this latest news to move regeneration schemes forward and give real incentives for investment in them. Yet there are also things that need to be done locally, not least delivering a vision for our town centres, including developing more year round employment in them, that all can get behind and which tempts businesses and investment back into them.'
A full copy of the debate in the House of Commons yesterday can be found at http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/1d776a62-25a3-41bf-a2b5-6114eff97ec4?in=17%3A38%3A38&out=18%3A19%3A11