Although I’m sure that some are thrilled with the recent announcement that Matalan will be taking up a store in the Old Market, I can’t help but feel we’ve missed an opportunity slightly.

I’m aware that a filled shop is obviously far better for both the local economy and appearances than a vacant eye sore of a space. However,  I can’t help but feel that more should be done to encourage and enable small, local businesses to gain access to larger retail spaces in the city.

We’re all aware of the soaring rents that many businesses struggle to pay for larger premises in both the high street and shopping centres, and I wonder what more could be done by both the council and other local authorities to support the often difficult transition of scaling up a business.

What are your thoughts?

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We are extremely lucky to boast many independent shops and businesses in the county, many of which have been recognised beyond Herefordshire, and rightly so.

Many of these successes I’m sure would benefit from both a larger retail space, and a more prominent location. I wonder if in some of these bigger units in the future we could not look at replicating the idea of somewhere like the Butter Market, where a large space could be filled with a collection of independent shops, and create a hub of Herefordshire’s best.

I'm sure that a collective such as this would draw in more customers from the county and beyond than chains that are already available online would.

KATHERINE BROMHAM

Hereford