Tain 'decline' needs to be halted says MP
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PRESENT day Tain presents a "bleak contrast" to the bustle of years gone by according to the local MP.
Jamie Stone has written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Prime Minister Theresa May calling for action to reverse the decline of town centres across his constituency, saying he "cannot stand idly by as our town centres continue to collapse".
He told the leaders: "In former years my home town of Tain had a vibrant centre – busy shops and businesses and a continuing bustle of shoppers and visitors.
"The scene today presents a bleak contrast. The branch of the Clydesdale Bank is closed and the closure of the Royal Bank branch is imminent.
"Only a handful of local high-street businesses remain. The many other shop buildings are let to charities, or are simply empty.
"The Scottish Government has spoken in the past of action to reverse this decline (eg the Town Centre Action Plan published in 2013.
"Yet the stark fact is that today the decline continues apace, and has even accelerated.
"Empty shops are targets for crime and vandalism – they do nothing to protect the social fabric of our communities.
"Furthermore the presence of these empty and increasingly derelict properties undermines one of the most important industries of the Highlands – namely tourism."
Mr Stone said the letter is just the first step in a personal crusade.
"Tain is my home town and I care about it – and the same is true of the other communities that I have the honour to represent," he said.
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