Town economy slowly dying, traders say

Harcharan Pala owns music shop Revolution Records, but says he cannot rely on passing trade

Businesses in Walsall are urging the council to do more to support local trade, after new figures revealed the town was economically below average on nearly every front.

The figures show nearly one in four residents are economically inactive, and that the borough needs 3,125 more businesses to reach its full potential.

Walsall Council has said it is in the middle of a £1.5bn regeneration programme, creating opportunities for businesses.

However, Harcharan Pala, who runs Revolution Records, said he might "go solely online" due to the lack of people visiting the town.

"It's been difficult, we have found it harder as a physical store to maintain pricing. I think the town itself is dwindling," he said.

Walsall is economically below average on nearly every front, according to the latest figures

The latest economy data was presented at the council's Prosperous Places and Investment scrutiny committee meeting, by the executive director for economy, environment and communities, Dave Brown.

He said the figures also showed there was a lack of funding going into innovation in the area, and that the GVA per head was massively below the national average.

Gross Value Added (GVA) measures how much money is generated through goods and services within the local economy.

Mr Brown added that wages in the town were still £5,000 less than the national average.

Craig Marlow from The Retro Realm says the town is "no longer a destination"

Craig Marlow, the managing director of local arcade The Retro Realm, believes the local economy is struggling because the town does not have the same draw as it used to.

"It's a destinational thing - Walsall used to have a really good market, it was known all over the country, it was so strong," he said.

"It makes me feel disheartened. Walsall is a really good community, but it's slowly dying because the destination is gone.

"Everyone goes to Merry Hill or to Telford, everywhere except Walsall." Mr Marlow added.

Despite the new figures, the council maintains the view that the borough is "full of potential".

Councillor Adrian Andrew, Deputy Leader of Walsall Council, said: "We recognise the barriers we face - from lower business density to higher levels of economic inactivity.

"That's why we're investing in enterprise, skills, and regeneration to tackle these issues. Without these interventions, Walsall could be in a far worse position."

Additional reporting by Rachel Alexander, Local Democracy Reporter