Closure of High Street Services: Rural Areas

Claire Young Excerpts

Wednesday 5th February 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jamie Stone]

I agree with my hon. Friend, and I will touch on that matter later in my contribution.

I want to go back to when I was a boy—some time ago, I might say. My hometown of Tain in the highlands was a vibrant and bustling place. It was a short walk up Shore Road from where I lived, where my father had a small farm, to the high street, where we got everything we needed, from lavatory paper in piles and pyramids in Ross the chemists, via Lesley the grocer, where we could buy broken biscuits in brown paper bags, to Hamilton Cormack, the local solicitor, who played the piano beautifully but, happily, never seemed to send out a bill. We had everything. Tain was a totally self-contained, prosperous community—but, oh my goodness, how very different today.

My constituency in the far north has long faced unique challenges. We have higher living costs, limited transport options and poor broadband connectivity. Rural areas such as mine have to contend with significant disadvantages compared with urban centres. We are all here today to talk about not just the loss of shops, banks and post offices, but the erosion of a way of life and a sense of connection, and a loss of public services and access to essential services that rural communities rely on.

Over recent years, our rural communities have faced unprecedented challenges. Once bustling with activity, like my hometown, they are now marked by shuttered windows and “for sale” signs. The causes are many. We know that they include the rise of online shopping, changing consumer habits, economic pressures and, of course, the rise of large out-of-town centre supermarkets. In my home in the highlands, those trends are compounded by rural isolation and limited access to alternative services. The closure of shops, banks, post offices and other essential services has left many residents in town centres feeling abandoned.

[Claire Young (Thornbury and Yate) (LD)]

In my constituency, we have thriving community shops offering a range of services beyond selling goods. For example, Tytherington has an outreach post office, and people can pick up their prescriptions at Hawkesbury Stores in Hawkesbury Upton. Does my hon. Friend agree that for many villages, volunteer-run shops are vital, and the Government need to do more to ensure they remain part of our rural high streets?

[Jamie Stone]

My hon. Friend is right on the money, and I will return to that point shortly.

Local businesses that once thrived now struggle to compete with online giants offering convenience and lower prices. This shift has not only impacted our economy but deprived our communities of vital gathering spaces—places where people can get together, where relationships are built and strengthened, and where we can have a good natter on the street corner.