MARKET towns in west Wiltshire have survived the Covid-19 pandemic because of the growth in small independent businesses and loyal support from their local communities, it was claimed this week.

They are evolving and adapting to the new economic climate and the changing habits of local residents, some of whom now work from home and no longer commute.

David McKnight, a former economic development manager for Melksham Town Council, says west Wiltshire towns have come through the pandemic relatively well with their communities being urged to 'buy local'.

They are "playing to their strengths" to overcome the coronavirus pandemic which has devastated the retail economies of larger towns and cities.

"The message is coming through loud and clear that town centres are reinventing themselves and it is the independent businesses that are doing it. They are not necessarily dying but changing and evolving.

"Towns like Melksham are playing to their strengths. They have lots of independent businesses and a pretty supportive local community.

"More people are working from home and are a lot better off financially. They have more money to spend and have saved time spent commuting. We are seeing communities where people have more time and money to spend in their local shops."

Mr McKnight was commenting after an annual economic assessment of the UK’s largest urban areas by the Centre for Cities revealed that Covid-19 has cost some city and large town centres in the South West more than half a year’s worth of potential takings since March 2020.

One of the region's worst affected cities is central Bristol which has lost the equivalent of 38 weeks of sales between the first lockdown and Omicron’s onset.

Businesses in Exeter and Swindon city centres are also among the worst hit. Gloucester’s city centre lost the fewest weeks of sales (16 weeks) in the South West during the pandemic.

Debra Urch, town clerk in Westbury, said that like many towns in Wiltshire the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns had a dramatic impact on footfall and businesses.

But she added: "However, the resilience of the existing traders and an entrepreneurial attitude means that while a few outlets did close their doors during the pandemic, Westbury is seeing an influx of exciting new traders.

"Many of the traders in Westbury are independents offering a diverse shopping experience with variety and value for money. There are only a few vacant outlets remaining, so we are confident for the future.

"There is also a weekly market taking place on a Wednesday, this is growing in traders and popularity.

"Events such as the Wiltshire Chilli Festival and the Christmas Light Switch brought people from far and wide, and many we spoke to said they would be coming back."

"Although unable to provide current data on footfall, we do monitor the use of the three town centre car parks and they have almost returned to the pre-pandemic numbers."

Peter Roscoe, manager of the Three Horseshoes shopping centre in Warminster, said the town's businesses have survived better than many others across the country.

"Covid-19 has affected all retail destinations but Warminster has performed very well. It has performed better than the regional or national average."

In Trowbridge, Cllr Stewart Palmen, leader of the town council, said Government Covid support grants and loans had helped many businesses to survive.

But the monthly Weavers Market had helped to increase footfall in Fore Street and other town centre shopping areas.

"It has been good to see people supporting local businesses, enabling some of them like Cesar's coffee shop and Undressed to take on retail units."

Kez Garner, president of Trowbridge Chamber of Commerce, said: "There's lots of creativity going on, with people starting businesses from home and others relocating to larger premises.

"But it has needed the Chamber of Commerce to give them a helping hand. I have sent about 35 businesses to the LEP (Local Enterprise Partnerships) Growth Hub for funding and mentoring.

"Quite often, they are companies with little money but doing better than expected and testing their new products at the markets, so the markets have been really helpful for that."

Bristol Outset, which offers free business support, has also been helping Wiltshire businesses to get off the ground, she said.

Others have been using their Government grants and loans to diversify, and to develop deliveries and websites.

Nationally, Covid-19 has cost businesses in city and large town centres more than a third (35 per cent) of their potential takings since March 2020, with central London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Cardiff worst affected.

Across the 52 city and town centres studied, 2,426 commercial units have become vacant during the pandemic, against 1,374 between 2018 and 2020.

High streets in economically weaker places have been less impacted by Covid-19. Meanwhile in economically stronger places, business closures increased during the pandemic.

This suggests that the Government’s Covid-19 support successfully stalled the decline of many struggling high streets but was less effective in economically stronger places due to higher rents and a lack of custom from office workers.

That said, while stronger city centres have borne the economic brunt of the pandemic, their higher levels of affluence mean that, if restrictions end and office workers return, they will likely recover quickly.

Meanwhile, while government support has sheltered weaker places, it may have simply stored up pain for the future. The report warns that many less prosperous places in the South West face a wave of new business closures this year.

To avoid permanently levelling down prosperous places, policy makers should run campaigns to encourage leisure visitors back when safe to do so and provide part-time season tickets to encourage workers back to the office.

For struggling places, policy makers drafting the Levelling Up White Paper should focus on dealing with struggling places’ fundamental economic problems to address high street decline, the report says.

This means investing in skills and ways to strengthen the wider local economy to increase money in shoppers’ pockets, rather than on ‘cosmetic’ quick fixes such as hanging baskets and painting shop fronts.

Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: “While the pandemic has been a tough time for all high streets it has levelled down more prosperous cities and towns in the South West.

"Despite this, the strength of their wider local economies means they are well placed to recover quickly from the past two years.

“The bigger concern is for economically weaker places – primarily in the North and Midlands – where Covid-19 has actually paused their long-term decline.

“To help them avoid a wave of high street closures this year the Government must set out how it plans to increase peoples’ skills and pay to give them the income needed to sustain a thriving high street.

“Many of these places are in the so-called Red Wall so there is a political imperative for the Government to act fast, as well as an economic one.”