by Stephen Waite

A senior councillor has reiterated his call for Sittingbourne’s town centre retailers to do more to increase trade.

Tory Cllr John Wright, Swale Council’s cabinet member for regeneration, was criticised by Labour’s Cllr Nick Williams for saying businesses needed to “help themselves”.

In a question submitted to last week’s full council meeting, Cllr Williams asked: “Is this really what council taxpayers want to hear?”

Cllr Wright provided a written answer, in which he condemned traders for failing to turn up to Sittingbourne Retailers’ Association meetings.

He wrote: “The last several meetings I have attended, no more than five regular retailers have turned up.”

While he praised a “small number of people” for their “hard work, dedication and community spirit”, he called on others to do more.

“It would be nice to see all retailers in the town involved in making the town centre a more vibrant place, with bigger and better events and attractions.”

Elaborating on his answer during last week’s meeting, he added: “One thing they could do to help themselves is work together to organise events that create footfall within the high street.

“They could do that themselves and they would be the beneficiaries.”

He added that there needed to be a “hard message from time to time” and repeated his assertion that the council “does not have the money it used to have”.

Cllr Wright said that people, as well as the council, had to work “harder and smarter” in the current economic climate.

For the full version of Cllr Wright’s response, visit www.swale.gov/dso and click on “browse minutes”.