The residents of Amersham have asked questions on what will happen to its town centre as lockdown restrictions are fully lifted.
Since last March, the country has been impacted by three separate lockdowns that have prevented several businesses from trading for seven months.
However, the government has confirmed that by June 21, all lockdown restrictions should be lifted.
Regardless, several residents have expressed their concerns on how businesses will recover from the pandemic following a survey that was conducted by the independent Amersham Action Group (AAG), whose role is to promote and progress the revitalisation of Amersham-on-the-Hill.
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The Liberal Democrat candidates for Amersham Town Council believe these short-term gestures are wholly inadequate to meet the town’s needs.
Liberal Democrats candidate Dominic Pinkney said: “We give huge thanks to the Amersham Action Group (AAG) for all its hard work and the unprecedented number of residents who completed the survey.
“However, we are shocked and concerned that the AAG had to step in due to the Conservative controlled council’s complete lack of vision and strategy for revitalising Amersham Town Centre.
“The Council does not appear to have grasped the scale of the problem nor do they recognise the fantastic potential of Amersham to be more thriving and vibrant.
“Short-term measures on parking are not going to cut it - Amersham urgently needs more.”
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Over 1,100 residents were asked their views on what their concerns are for the town centre, with the AAG confirming they will analyse the results ‘in detail over the coming weeks.’
However, the AAG has revealed that from their early findings, ‘it is clear people are concerned about their community and want to ensure that the high street remains a central part of this.’
Mr Pinkney continued: “We believe a bigger, bolder and better plan is needed and we will work together with Amersham Action Group, the local community, and local businesses to develop an ambitious but deliverable strategy, that will harness Amersham’s strengths and uniqueness to increase footfall for Amersham, promote and protect the environment and maximise Amersham’s potential.”
The pandemic, which has impacted numerous countries, began in March.
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