MUCH has been said about the imminent closure of the Tyrers store and I would wholeheartedly endorse many of the sentiments around the loss of this fabulous St Helens institution.

The shop has always occupied a special place in the hearts and memories of our residents and, I’m sure, will continue to do so for years to come.

However there does seem to be a slightly confusing link in some minds that somehow the council has either allowed this to happen or, more worryingly, has actively contributed to it.

Nothing could be further from the truth. We are acutely aware of the challenges facing our town centre retailers with ever increasing competition from online shopping, neighbouring town centres and destinations like the Trafford Centre and Liverpool One.

Yet we are doing all we can to help. Car parking is free after 3pm, every day, on Chalon Way, Birchley Street and St Mary’s car parks. It’s also free all day Saturday on no less than 13 town centre car parks including those at the rear of the Tyrers store.

There also seems to be some misinformation circulating on business rates. While we collect them, like every local authority, we do not set them. Rateable values are assessed by central government.

We also do all we can to generate increased footfall in the town centre by staging town centre events. Our pre-Christmas programme helped to attract thousands of visitors.

The council has also appointed a town centre manager, who will build on the strong relationships we have with many of our town centre retailers. Again, he will be there to find out exactly how we can help to create the conditions that allow stores to flourish.

The arrival of new stores like H&M, Fat Face and USC, along with the imminent arrival of chains like Bella Italia at Westpoint underlines the fact there is confidence in the town centre.

But we’re under no illusions. Changing shopping habits have created a whole new set of challenges for every town centre and sadly we can’t turn the clock back. We have begun work with specialist consultants on re-visioning what our town centre might look like in the long-term. There will not be an easy solution but I can assure the people of the borough that a thriving town centre, despite the challenges retail faces, is an absolute priority. We will continue to do what we can to ensure that St Helens continues to remain an attractive, popular destination for retailers and customers alike. Our efforts are geared to making this happen.

Cllr Barrie Grunewald Leader of the Council