Mansfield MP Ben Bradley says now more than ever local shops need our support

On Monday, all of our local shops were able to open for the first time in months, which is a major step on the road back to ‘normal’.

Even before the lockdown, it was a hugely challenging time for the high street.

Increases in online shopping were having an impact, and those changes in consumer habits will only have been supercharged by closures.

So the main thrust of my column this week is this: Use it or lose it.

Now is the time to support local retailers and to get out shopping.

It’s going to be a little different to the usual experience for a while, with social distancing in place and a bit more of our wonderful British queuing.

But despite these challenges, local retailers will need our help in the coming weeks to survive.

The Government’s support schemes have been a lifeline for many, allowing businesses to reduce costs when no income was coming in.

But as the Government support returns to pre-lockdown levels between now and October, it’s make or break time for business owners.

We obviously want them to feel confident that they can make it work, and that they have the business coming in that will enable them to keep their staff in their jobs too.

Big money is being invested in the town centre this year, and last week we submitted a £25 million plan for the Future High Street Fund that is aimed at kick-starting the revival.

That money, the first of two £25 million pots available to Mansfield in 2020, will help sow the seeds for growth and redeveloping parts of town.

For that to work, we need to show that we value our high street and we’ll make use of it.

So let’s all do our bit this week and back our local retailers, as shops begin to reopen.

Let’s make a conscious effort to get out and buy in local shops instead of online.

We can return to our high streets, being careful of course to maintain social distancing, and help to reboot out local economy and protect livelihoods.

If we can do this safely, we can crack on and get Britain moving again.