Following today’s announcement by M&S that they will be closing their Swansea store, local Lib Dems have criticised Council spending on “vanity projects” and called for an action plan to support High Streets. This announcement comes following millions of pounds of spending by Swansea Council. The Welsh Liberal Democrat group have long been calling for parking to be made cheaper and easier to encourage people to use our city centre and save anchor units like M&S. These calls have not been listened to.
Welsh Lib Dem Lead Senedd Candidate Cllr Sam Bennett said:
“Time and time again the Labour Council Leader has assured us that the massive city centre projects would be the saving of the high street, and this announcement raises big questions.
“At the most recent Council meeting the Leader went as far to say how people were celebrating that the move of the library meant they could now go to M&S, this now sounds ridiculous.
“The Lib Dems have been calling for all levels of government to work together on an action plan for High Streets, including reforming business rates, cutting VAT, and making parking easier in city centres.
Leader of the Opposition on Swansea Council and Welsh Lib Dem Group Leader Cllr Chris Holley added:
“We have continually asked and been told that Labour’s vanity projects would be the saving of our high street, and even been told in a meeting M&S would stay once Yr Storfa had opened.
“This is deeply embarrassing for Labour, and is a tragedy for the city centre workers and shoppers as the Swansea high street takes another blow.”
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