Sign up to improve Hunts high streets

READERS of The Hunts Post can now help sell their towns to retailers by letting us know what makes the place you live unique and attractive to new businesses. We also want to know what type of shops, brands or chains you would like to see move into Huntin

READERS of The Hunts Post can now help sell their towns to retailers by letting us know what makes the place you live unique and attractive to new businesses.

We also want to know what type of shops, brands or chains you would like to see move into Huntingdonshire and what retailers are needed to add a bit more of a mix to the high street.

Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) is currently drawing up a new marketing strategy to sell the district's market towns to retailers and their agents.

And HDC is keen for residents to have their input by giving testimonials and sound bites that will persuade businesses to invest in the district.

Sue Bedlow, an economic development officer at HDC, told The Hunts Post: "We're drawing a wish-list and a common protocol that looks at the unique selling points of the towns.

"The aim is to raise the profile of the towns in Huntingdonshire with the retailers and the agents of the retailers - the majority of retailers use a handful of key agents.

"We do have good relationships with agents in this area, but we are taking the Huntingdonshire towns to agents further afield as part of a marketing campaign.

"The concept was started a long time before the economic problems with the aim of ensuring we get a good retail mix. But the objective has altered slightly in that we are working to fill the empty units, and then tweak the retail mix when times are more prosperous."

HDC wants some of your thoughts and suggestions to form part of its marketing strategy. Your views about what makes your town special, the unique selling points that could persuade a business to move there, and anecdotes about the type of place it is and the people who make up the town - anything that could help convince new shops to open in the towns.

INFORMATION: Send your views to editor@huntspost.co.uk or write to The Hunts Post, 30 High Street, Huntingdon PE29 3TB. The information will be passed to HDC for use in its marketing material for Huntingdonshire.

MORE than 600 people have signed up to an internet campaign to bring the low-cost clothing chain, Primark, to Huntingdon.

With vacant shops appearing in the high street, the residents of Huntingdon have been using a modern method to get their views to the big retailers.

The Facebook group - Open a Primark in Huntingdon - has attracted 619 supporters, as well as sparking the creation of a rival Facebook group opposing the idea.

The latter has attracted just over 50 members.