Market town must make changes to survive

People living in rural areas are still dependent on their market town, and the town is reliant on them, a new study shows.

However, changes need to be made if residents are to continue using local shops and services, suggest researchers from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, who examined the situation in Alnwick in rural Northumberland, which is widely known for its castle – the location for Hogwarts wizard school in the Harry Potter films and its multi-million pound water garden.

The Internet, out-of-town shopping centres and a commuter workforce are major threats to Alnwick, the research showed, as it is for other English market towns. The Newcastle University research, published in The Journal of Rural Studies, suggests developing services such as food shopping and night time entertainment may ‘claw back’ trade and retain existing customers.

Making sure that Alnwick thrives is increasingly important because the population is ageing and likely to become less mobile and more dependent on nearby shops and services. Many village businesses have closed down, meaning the nearest local services are in Alnwick. Moreover, regenerating market towns like Alnwick is a Government objective under the Market Town Initiative.

The study, by Newcastle University’s Centre for Research in Environmental Appraisal and Management (CREAM), surveyed several hundred visitors to the town centre as well as people living in the surrounding rural area, or ‘hinterland’. Key findings included:

• 43 per cent of town centre visitors came from the rural hinterland.
• 98 per cent of hinterland residents used Alnwick services
• Four out of five used the supermarket, three out of five Alnwick’s food shops, and nearly half used the non-food shops.
• Nearly all those surveyed saw Alnwick as an ‘important place to shop’ and nearly half visited the town in the last month during the evening.
• One third of hinterland residents travelled out of town to do the main food shop and two-thirds did non-food shopping elsewhere.
• Many residents used Internet for shopping and banking. At least ten per cent had used the web instead of visiting Alnwick.

Researchers also discovered, surprisingly, that many hinterland residents did not feel a sense of loyalty to Alnwick and those who went there to shop cited convenience as a major reason. More than half suggested they would be encouraged to do more shopping in Alnwick if shops, such as supermarkets, were improved.

Lead researcher, Dr Neil Powe, said: “If the mutually interdependent relationship between Alnwick and its hinterland residents is to continue, measures to maintain existing trade as well as clawing it back lost trade are needed. The results of the survey suggest that providing improved food shopping services will encourage more people to use Alnwick, and that this may increase the patronage of other services. “The town needs to try harder to encourage a feeling of loyalty and belonging, particularly among commuters, and introducing something like a loyalty card for shoppers may be one solution. “We also found that a third of people went to the Playhouse, a shared theatre and cinema facility, which suggests these types of services can be developed, particularly for commuters who may not feel like travelling long distances in the evening and at weekends for entertainment.”

Fiona Markwick, programme manager for the Countryside Agency’s Market Towns Initiative, said: “The Countryside Agency welcomes this research as a further opportunity to emphasise the importance of market towns in rural areas and to highlight the complex issues facing Alnwick and other towns across England.”

Gordon Castle, chairman, Alnwick Community Development Trust, said: “This research is very timely and welcome, coming at a time when Alnwick is adapting to the changing needs and expectations of visitors and residents in town and nearby countryside. “Our Trust was formed to deliver regenerative projects for the benefit of the town and we are most grateful to have access to such a valuable piece of research. We believe policies must be adopted to ensure that Alnwick retains and nurtures mutual year round interdependence with its rural hinterland and it is most encouraging to note the opportunities identified in the report.”