Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

Meeting date: Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Official Report 1016KB pdf

Committee Announcement (Town Centres and Retail)

The next item of business is an announcement by the Economy and Fair Work Committee on town centres and retail. I call Claire Baker, convener of the committee, to make the announcement.

As convener of the Economy and Fair Work Committee, I wish to highlight the committee’s inquiry into Scotland’s town centres and the changing nature of retail, which has been launched today.

Our town centres have traditionally been the heartbeat of our communities, bringing people together to live, work, shop and socialise, but changing retail trends, including the growth in e-commerce and the expansion of retail parks, combined with the impact of the pandemic and the lockdown, are all creating a difficult trading environment that is placing many traditional town centres under pressure and under threat.

Our inquiry seeks to produce recommendations to demonstrate how Scotland’s town centres can thrive in the post-pandemic world and be vibrant, resilient and accessible places that meet the economic, social and environmental needs of our communities. I encourage members to share details of the inquiry with interested stakeholders, including businesses and networks in their constituencies and regions, whose input will be of great value. I encourage them to respond to the call for evidence, which will run until mid-March. We aim to produce a report with recommendations by the Parliament’s summer recess.