A DEVELOPMENT on the former Budgens supermarket site in Ludlow town centre would be better used for housing or as a community space rather than for shops.

The Green party in south Shropshire says that there are already empty shops in Ludlow town centre and is concerned that any retail space would be taken up by national chains.

“Ludlow already has an array of nice shops – many of which are struggling, and there are a number of empty retail sites in the centre of Ludlow,” said Hilary Wendt, co-ordinator for the Green party in south Shropshire.

The Green party suggest that the ground floor should not be given over to two retail sites.

They believe that these would very likely to be offered to chains, which will funnel monies to out of area investors, but instead used for housing and or a community space for the residents.

“The Green Party argues that financial and social gains should be harnessed much more for local communities,” added Ms Wendt.

“We regularly make the point that for every £1 spent in a small independent business 63p remains in the local economy, in contrast to 40p staying if that £1 is spent in a chain. The Green Party works for more opportunities for small businesses to develop and grow, thus keeping more investment in our local economy.”

“This is evidenced by the horrifying fact that one in five children in Shropshire live in poverty, with most of them in households where at least one adult works, and a poorer person in our area is likely to have fewer years in good health and to die some ten years before their wealthier counterpart. Nationally, personal insolvencies have just hit a 10 year high, and our current economic model is trashing the planet we live on.

The Green Party believe all this could and should be different. Sticking to the same old ideas of how things should be done won’t bring us the change our communities and our planet need”.