Fairness and justice for retailers please

Battle has a wonderful and diverse range of retail shops providing excellent opportunity for residents to shop locally.

Through the first lockdown those shops permitted to trade provided a wonderful service and many whilst unable to open their doors provided a click & collect or click and deliver service.

Over the summer all the retail outlets ranging from Crafty Norman to Battle Goldsmiths to the Demelza House Battle Books and all other shops invested both time, energy and money into making their shops Covid secure.

They were totally successful in so doing. During the summer some of the retailers started to restore their business fortunes by providing a way above average level of service.

Then came Lockdown Mark 2. Once again these marvellous shops have been forced to close their doors.

Our local MP, Huw Merriman, has highlighted the difficulties associated with Lockdown2 in general terms and many small businesses have been plunged further into trading financial difficulties.

As we enter into the Christmas season, a period so vital to many retailers, not only are they forced to close but they can see their trading opportunities haemorrhage away while bigger stores are deemed through some dubious interpretation to be essential.

So we see chains being allowed to stay open because they also retail essential items such as pet food and ‘basics’ such as shortbread biscuits, crystallised fruit and Christmas puddings - are these really essential items? Trading Standards seem to think so.

For our retailers this is a double whammy. Forced to close until 2 December while having to watch household chains and garden centres take advantage of Battle’s small retailers being forced to close.

I appeal to the residents of Battle to hang fire in doing their Christmas shopping until 2 December when the lockdown is due to end and then truly support the town’s shops by the giving of your custom.

If any shop is forced to close it does not just mean another empty shop it means destroyed hopes and ambitions and lives.

The current system is totally unfair and unjustifiable. In some other countries, such as Greece, an essentials shop can only sell essential items. Hard to do and enforce, perhaps, but also fair and just.

And what happens if the lockdown goes beyond 2 December. The current rules will still be unjust but will cause business failures. Support your MP as he strives to get the rules changed.

The retailers will have to be inventive and show their grit and determination to survive. We know they can do it but maybe others can join me in suggesting novel survival tips to the chamber of commerce.

Fairness and justice. Not a lot to ask for to keep Battle Trading.