Lowestoft: 'If empty shops open up everybody wins'

Lowestoft is the first place to see the sunrise in the United Kingdom and is home to the most easterly site, Ness Point

In the Queen's Speech the government announced that councils would get new planning powers to force landlords in England to let out empty shops to rejuvenate high streets. What do people in the Suffolk coastal town of Lowestoft, the UK's most easterly point, make of the plans?

Home to more than 70,000 people the coastal town of Lowestoft is the most easterly settlement in the UK.

Those who live there say the town has been caught in a vicious economic circle in recent years.

As shop after shop has closed, the fewer visitors come and the cycle continues.

'It doesn't look so nice'

Mandy Peterson says she loves working on her shop and she turned her passion into a business

Mandy Peterson, has run Lennie's, a plant shop in the town for four years.

"I took voluntary redundancy and I thought I would use that money to set myself up in a business that I thought I would enjoy doing.

"Lowestoft has taken a real dip in how much retail there is here, it doesn't look so nice to walk through when everywhere is closed.

She says local shop keepers do work together and "help each other".

Her message to anyone thinking of opening a new business - "give it a go."

Mandy Peterson says community spirit is still alive in Lowestoft

She does not think forcing landlords to let out empty shop units will work in all situations.

"I'm not sure if we should force anybody to do anything personally, the thought of empty shops being open, marvellous, everybody wins. The landlord wins for the rent, the community wins for the financial flow and it's a better area for everyone to live in."

• What was in this year's Queen's Speech?

• What is the Queen's Speech and why is it important?

• Owners could be forced to rent out empty shops

She remembers a time when in the '80s and '90s there were "nice shops" with "loads of choice" in Lowestoft.

"I was born here, so I've seen a big change. It's awful if you're a local person and you've seen the town that you've lived in all your life go down."

She believes things could turn around if there is the "will and the finance" in place.

'There's just nothing here'

Pamela Norman does not think Lowestoft has a lot to offer

Pamela Norman says Lowestoft has "gone downhill very badly, there's nothing", so she does not come into town a lot.

"It needs to be more people friendly, there's just nothing here"

There are only "a couple of shops, there's not a lot"

'The town is dying a death'

Nicki Cross is from Lowestoft and has seen changes, not for the best, over the years

"Awful" is what Nicki Cross thinks of the seaside town.

She also believes it has gone "downhill so much, I've lived here all my life and there's nothing here".

"Regeneration" is the answer, she said.

"The shops are closing left, right and centre, we're just getting no new trade, the road network system is absolutely awful.

"Something seriously needs to be done as the town is dying a death."

'Bustling for different things rather than retail.'

Danny Steel can see town centres bustling again but with things other than retail

Danny Steel, a commercial property specialist and chairman of the business improvement group, Lowestoft Vision, believes the government's scheme to make sure empty shops are taken over, will have some positives.

"In some cases yes it will and in other cases it could cause problems, the devil is in the detail," he said.

Mr Steel does not think just having retail shops is the answer as the nature of town centres is changing.

He would like to see coffee bars, restaurants, nail bars, doctors' surgeries and dentists, alongside shops and homes.

Plans are in place to turn units in the town into housing and "we want that, we need a thriving, breathing, living town centre", he said.

Danny Steel wants to see different types of shops and businesses opening in the town

"Wouldn't it be great if in the evenings there were children playing out in the pedestrian precinct... it would be a proper community."

He does not think Lowestoft is any different to most towns, as he think Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and internet shopping has all added to changes.

"Last year something like 30 percent of all sales were internet based so the whole retail offering from town centres is reducing very very quickly.

"It would be great to see the town centres busy again and bustling, but bustling maybe for different things rather than retail."

Another option is turning retail space into homes, Danny Steel says