Amersham High Street has never been quieter, according to staff who have worked in the town for more than a decade.
One morning last month, AMERSHAMnews spoke with staff members from Carrols, the High Street hardware shop.
Staff described the desperate situation businesses are facing. With footfall at an all-time low and energy prices soaring, they said “not opening for the day would have been cheaper”.
The closure of multiple banks in the town was cited as a key issue for dwindling footfall. NatWest, the last bank in the town still open, announced it was closing a further 32 branches in November. Carrols staff fear what could happen if the Amersham branch should close.
One staff member said: “They say that you can still take money out of the Post Office, but only in small amounts. This means that people aren’t carrying a lot of spending money, which affects places like us.
“I don’t think anything can save the High Street now; it’s too far gone.”
What would REALLY help is providing free parking. It irks me that the council gripes about the lack of customers but tries to bleed them via extortionate parking charges. Why would I bother when for example Amazon etc. deliver for free?
Parking puts me off ,