Letter: Lockdown exit plan must be a bold vision

A good thing about the lockdown is the opportunity to wander through Harrogate town centre.

With few people about, I can look above the deserted shops and relatively safely, lose myself in some wonderful architectural detail and still keep social distance.

Occasionally I ask myself, ‘how did they get that past the planners?’, or ‘what a waste of space’.

However this gradually becomes an unsettling experience and I think, okay this is temporary, but what is the point of the town centre, if no shops, restaurants, cafes, cinemas and theatres are open?

What is the future for the town if we do not get back to the footfall of the past?

How can we make this a vibrant space even in times when social distancing remains a necessity?

Many in the business and civic community emphasise the need to plan, be positive and adapt to get the town back on its feet.

We must whole-heartedly support them but we have to acknowledge that this virus will cause massive change and further increase the move to online shopping and greater automation.

Is this not the time to seriously and creatively engage with the idea of living above the shop?

Look beyond the often blandness of the shops and you see some wonderful buildings, not all of which are offices and storerooms and would make apartments.

There are many low rise shops, where living space could be created above with balconies and roof gardens.

This is not easy to achieve, with land ownership, the commercial viability of such projects and fair leaseholder agreements to consider, but this pandemic has taught us working together can solve difficult problems.

More residents in the town would improve the vitality of the space. Shops and cafes would have regular customers living close by. Chatter, music, balcony gardening and yes, the occasional raised voice, would be experienced by visitors.

I think this would help the idea that the town centre is shared space for everyone to cherish and enjoy. Residents need a purpose for coming into town which is not just about spending money.

We have started to get quite a few galleries in Harrogate to complement our wonderful art gallery, maybe we can build on this.

Perhaps think about locating some health or public services in the town.

The more the space is used, the greater the footfall for shops.

We can respond to this terrible event with a bold vision that promotes Harrogate’s heritage and a centre of a community wanting to engage with future challenges.