By the time you read this, Swindon Borough Council will have announced their decision on August's big issue of town centre parking. Whilst the parking issue hit the headlines and momentarily and unexpectedly got my photograph on the front page of the Swindon Advertiser, the issue isn't really just about car parking. It is all about supporting Swindon Town Centre, but at the risk of repeating what I have already said, in my view, knocking a few pence off the four hour parking charge just isn't good enough when the town is facing competition from the likes of Cabot Circus, Bristol, offering £1 an hour parking to shoppers and also to offer a much more attractive shopping environment. A little tinkering around the edges of the complicated parking tariff will do very little to encourage people into the town centre and help boost trade. The town needs inspired leadership in times of crisis like the current recession, not lip service, but real and practical help to local traders and businesses.

Unfortunately, there is no lead at national level on such issues, with our political leaders seemingly more interested in gestures than solutions. For example, the Government has recently announced it is making available £3 million of taxpayers' money to Councils to help areas hit hardest by the recession, with the money intended to counter the negative impact of vacant shops in town centres. However, instead of introducing measures to help retailers reoccupy vacant shops, the Government is suggesting that Councils should spend the £50,000 grant that each of the 57 Councils are to receive by transforming shops into something useful ‘such as a meeting place, a learning centre or even a showroom for local artists'. As you can see, there is nothing there to help struggling retailers, but a whole load of suggested cosmetic measures to help pretend the problem doesn't exist! Swindon is not in the list of 57 Councils to receive this public money, although Bristol is, but the majority of the money is going to Councils in the north east and north west, perhaps coincidentally Labour strongholds, or is that too cynical with an election looming?

The recession has brought new challenges to Swindon and competition for both consumers' and businesses' spending power is fiercer than ever. We cannot, as a town, afford to allow the perception to grow that Swindon is characterised by empty shops, derelict buildings and uncompetitive parking charges. Swindon has many good points going for it, but new initiatives need to be focused on helping businesses and traders in the town, not wasted on cosmetic makeovers, putting strange pictures in shop windows or more hanging flower baskets on the streets. Now is the time for inspired initiatives!

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