0:00:01 > 0:00:08What can be done to save our town centres? This woman has some advice
0:00:08 > 0:00:14for traders struggling to survive. Do you know what people are saying
0:00:14 > 0:00:20about you? I don't care. It is not good, it is empty. She takes on the
0:00:20 > 0:00:23people in charge. That end of town looks grim. And we reveal where's
0:00:23 > 0:00:27worst in Wales for empty shops and ask what's the future for our High
0:00:27 > 0:00:33Streets. A traffic system you cannot get your head around, a town
0:00:33 > 0:00:43centre that is a concrete mess. What is the future for the high
0:00:43 > 0:00:55
0:00:55 > 0:01:01If a city should start selling itself as soon as you arrive,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Swansea's offer disappoints Dr Heather Skinner. The station's been
0:01:04 > 0:01:07getting a welcome makeover, but the look of the place isn't too
0:01:08 > 0:01:10encouraging. With street signs seemingly designed only for
0:01:10 > 0:01:20motorists, how does Heather, an expert in place marketing, find out
0:01:20 > 0:01:20
0:01:21 > 0:01:27where to go next? This is good. All of the stuff you need to know, and
0:01:27 > 0:01:35information point. There is a link to local area maps, a fine tourist
0:01:35 > 0:01:45attraction. Great, the nearest attractions. The Maritime Quarter,
0:01:45 > 0:01:45
0:01:45 > 0:01:52the museum, art gallery. The Brecon Beacons, I don't understand.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57much above the town centre yet. the town is the 24th listed nearest
0:01:57 > 0:02:03attraction. Useless! It would be easier to have a stand or you can
0:02:03 > 0:02:08buy a local map. The recession is reducing spending but that has come
0:02:08 > 0:02:16on top of other trends affecting the high street. In Swansea, many
0:02:16 > 0:02:22shoppers have gone missing. To find out why, Heather meets a mother of
0:02:22 > 0:02:30two. How often do go shopping in Swansea? When my daughter bakes me
0:02:30 > 0:02:39to go. I rarely go. I do not enjoy shopping in town. Why not? The
0:02:39 > 0:02:44parking, I would go to Cardiff for more choice. She would prefer to
0:02:44 > 0:02:51shop online and drive further afield than Swansea to go to an
0:02:51 > 0:02:54out-of-town retail park. Anywhere except Swansea! With so many big
0:02:54 > 0:02:59chains leaving the high street, had the believes and major changes
0:02:59 > 0:03:05needed. How will we carry on with business as usual, attracting all
0:03:05 > 0:03:10trying to attract national store chains? I really think Swansea
0:03:10 > 0:03:15needs to get its act together and think about how it will grow its
0:03:15 > 0:03:21local independent trading sector. There are some great businesses in
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Swansea. In a recent survey, the retailers came out very well for
0:03:25 > 0:03:31service and friendliness. But what they need to do to survive the
0:03:31 > 0:03:37challenge? She has come to see three. First up, second to none on
0:03:37 > 0:03:44the High Street. What does it sell? The window is all scuffed. It is
0:03:44 > 0:03:51�10, that doesn't mean me think it's good quality. Second to none,
0:03:51 > 0:03:56they are probably seconds. Peter has had the shop for a year. But he
0:03:56 > 0:04:06is struggling. Everything is half price. She soon identify is a
0:04:06 > 0:04:16problem. So, not just banks. gets out of hand. When you see bags
0:04:16 > 0:04:16
0:04:16 > 0:04:21and shoes and the sale rail and T- shirts, is this seconds? No. It is
0:04:21 > 0:04:26not a charity shop. Peter says there isn't enough passing trade so
0:04:26 > 0:04:32he has to have a big range. Whoever thinks that's a mistake. How do you
0:04:32 > 0:04:40entice them in with a window full of very nice bags. But perhaps less
0:04:40 > 0:04:49is more. Perhaps less clutter, less jewellery and clothes and boots and
0:04:49 > 0:04:57rings and bags. I sell a lot of bags. Why not have more Julien
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Macdonald bags. I need to shift this lot first! She leaves are
0:05:00 > 0:05:07advising people to think hard about his shops identity. She will be
0:05:07 > 0:05:16back in a few weeks. Our high streets need to become destinations,
0:05:16 > 0:05:20not just for shopping, but entertainment and leisure. Luke has
0:05:20 > 0:05:26only just taken over this cafe in the last few weeks. He has a clear
0:05:26 > 0:05:32idea of what he wants to do. way it is now, it is not viable to
0:05:32 > 0:05:38keep it open as a cafe. No, it is lunchtime and it is empty! That is
0:05:38 > 0:05:47not good. What will you do it's so drastic? It will be the one hand
0:05:47 > 0:05:52cafe. We will be doing meals for a pound. We will also be doing larger
0:05:52 > 0:05:58meals for �2 so a �1 bought and two pound bought. Pound shops are doing
0:05:58 > 0:06:03well. That is the main thing, getting customers. My only worry
0:06:03 > 0:06:10about that his long-term sustainability. What we call it in
0:06:10 > 0:06:15three years or five years? That is immediate, it is of the moment. But
0:06:15 > 0:06:21not necessarily sustainable. Your supplier prices will be going up.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Will that mean you have to take a hit on profits next year?
0:06:23 > 0:06:29leaves advising luca macro to charge more otherwise he would
0:06:29 > 0:06:37never make enough money to employ staff. It is so good and heartening
0:06:37 > 0:06:47to see a young man about to set up his own business. It is very brave,
0:06:47 > 0:06:56
0:06:56 > 0:06:58my worry is the pound idea is not sustainable. The hollowing out of
0:06:58 > 0:07:01our town centres isn't just a Swansea problem. We've obtained
0:07:01 > 0:07:04figures from the Local Data Company, one of the UK's most respected
0:07:04 > 0:07:07gatherers of retail information. They've looked at the number of
0:07:07 > 0:07:10empty shops in our top 18 town and cities. According to their figures,
0:07:10 > 0:07:15seven places, including Swansea, have around one in five of their
0:07:15 > 0:07:18shops vacant, with some even higher. Although our two businesses may
0:07:18 > 0:07:24need more direction, they 're also operating in a High street where
0:07:24 > 0:07:26dozens of shops have left, making trading conditions even worse. It
0:07:26 > 0:07:31was time to meet someone whose organisation is trying to address
0:07:31 > 0:07:34the underlying problems. Juliet Luporiniruns one of the city's best
0:07:34 > 0:07:44known cafes and something called the BID, or 'Business Improvement
0:07:44 > 0:07:45
0:07:45 > 0:07:47District'. It will be a busy day. It represents more than eight
0:07:47 > 0:07:52hundred Swansea traders. An idea from America, it charges its
0:07:52 > 0:07:59members a bit extra on their business rates. That pays for extra
0:07:59 > 0:08:04initiatives, like cheap parking. The Townsend has suffered against a
0:08:04 > 0:08:09backdrop of out of town shopping where parking is free. We have made
0:08:09 > 0:08:15a priority to attracts foot fault back into the city centre so we
0:08:15 > 0:08:19have had offers which we have run, there have been 300,000 free
0:08:19 > 0:08:24transactions and visits since he started his offer. We have renewed
0:08:24 > 0:08:29it to have three hours parking for the cost of �3 which is very
0:08:29 > 0:08:33reasonable. Andy should encourage an increase in ft 4 in the city
0:08:33 > 0:08:36centre. -- and it should encourage. Parking's one problem, but so is
0:08:36 > 0:08:45the road system according to many traders. As Heather's about to find
0:08:45 > 0:08:49out on her way to business number three. Just across that way and now
0:08:49 > 0:08:54the traffic is going both directions across here. I don't
0:08:54 > 0:08:56know how anyone can make it to the shops! With so many shops,
0:08:57 > 0:09:04including some big names, having already left, clinging on here in
0:09:04 > 0:09:14the Kingsway is even more difficult for Victoria's Bridal. It is a
0:09:14 > 0:09:16
0:09:16 > 0:09:25great location, big windows. But the gold on the name is peeling off.
0:09:25 > 0:09:31Hello, you must be jailed. I am. Pleased to meet you. What a lot of
0:09:31 > 0:09:35colour. We like colour to draw people. We have to catch their eye.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Nothing can stop on the road! When we have around about the traffic
0:09:40 > 0:09:46was going past all the time. People would stop all the time. Every
0:09:46 > 0:09:51other town has got greenery and a park. It does look grim. We have
0:09:51 > 0:09:54concrete! Heather is wondering whether Jill is doing enough
0:09:54 > 0:09:57herself to keep her business afloat. She's been doing her homework and
0:09:57 > 0:10:05found that Victoria's Bridal don't have a website, and the shop gets
0:10:05 > 0:10:14some worrying reviews on others. you're a retailer with a website.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18No. How do people know about your shop? It is word of mouth. I do not
0:10:18 > 0:10:22like the internet! I haven't even got a mobile phone. When I checked
0:10:22 > 0:10:29about the shops I was visiting, I did find some reviews about the
0:10:29 > 0:10:33bridal salon, the most positive -- they were not the most positive. Do
0:10:33 > 0:10:39you know what people are saying? do not want to know. I don't care.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Very rude and unhelpful. Horrendous service. Have you read everywhere
0:10:43 > 0:10:49else is reviews on other shops? Heather's advice to Jill - get
0:10:49 > 0:10:54online. I can understand why small retailers would be tempted to put
0:10:54 > 0:10:57the blame for portrayed on everything else but there are
0:10:57 > 0:11:02things some of these shops can do themselves. You really needs to
0:11:02 > 0:11:09know what the customers are saying about you. I was amazed that she
0:11:09 > 0:11:13did not know what was being said about the shop and only today
0:11:13 > 0:11:16finding out. But Heather does think Jill has a point about the roads.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19The Kingsway's not the only big change in the layout in recent
0:11:19 > 0:11:24years. The eight-lane Westway, is another example, sweeps through the
0:11:24 > 0:11:34middle of town. Critics argue these new roads have broken up the city
0:11:34 > 0:11:38
0:11:38 > 0:11:42centre, disrupting pedestrian flows, creating dead space. The people say
0:11:42 > 0:11:52it recent schemes have not been helpful. It was not well thought
0:11:52 > 0:11:53
0:11:53 > 0:11:59out. I think that businesses ought to have been represented. Clearly,
0:11:59 > 0:12:04councils drawing up strategic plans in the city centre leads to -- need
0:12:04 > 0:12:06to understand the needs of business and customers and the business
0:12:06 > 0:12:10improvement districts representing the views of the members are just
0:12:10 > 0:12:14the sort of people who will be able to provide the necessary
0:12:14 > 0:12:17information. Swansea's BID has only been going for a few years. A
0:12:17 > 0:12:20recent report for Welsh Government recommends we should have lots more
0:12:21 > 0:12:30of them to help save our high streets. Juliet believes BIDs can
0:12:30 > 0:12:35help councils to avoid repeating the mistakes of past. It provides
0:12:35 > 0:12:40the mechanism which fills the gap between the them and us situation
0:12:40 > 0:12:44that many town and city centres face. It is them and us. Not so
0:12:44 > 0:12:49much now, we have bridged the gap but it has been difficult in the
0:12:49 > 0:12:53past because the council perhaps are unsure of what business is
0:12:53 > 0:12:56needs are. But should we look to an organisation that has 800 diverse
0:12:56 > 0:13:05members-everyone from Tesco to the local cobbler-for a coherent clear
0:13:05 > 0:13:09vision of a city's future? What does Heather think? In the past it
0:13:09 > 0:13:14seems as if that decisions have been taken in Swansea. They might
0:13:14 > 0:13:19have contributed to the decline, the road system, some of the
0:13:19 > 0:13:22decisions about where things are situated. Perhaps that will change
0:13:22 > 0:13:26with the Business improvement District, it seems to be helping
0:13:26 > 0:13:30with communication and seems to be helping with initiatives but is it
0:13:30 > 0:13:34enough, is enough to stop the fragmentation of the retail
0:13:34 > 0:13:37offering in Swansea? I am not sure. The organisation that represents
0:13:37 > 0:13:41all of Swansea is of course the council and Labour are now back in
0:13:41 > 0:13:51power following May's lection. It was time to meet the new leader and
0:13:51 > 0:13:53
0:13:53 > 0:13:58ask whether he thought the days of There are a lot of issues that face
0:13:58 > 0:14:04city centre traders. One of those is traffic management in the city
0:14:04 > 0:14:09centre. We have promised no major roadworks in the future. We need to
0:14:09 > 0:14:14what it business rates and whether we can get any mitigation for that.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17What we all need to do is to recognise that they're making a
0:14:17 > 0:14:24significant investment in the city centre. They are committed to
0:14:24 > 0:14:29Swansea, their families are here and there committed. What is the
0:14:29 > 0:14:34unifying vision? The Vision has to be that Swansea is a dynamic city
0:14:34 > 0:14:40centre, up a unique city centre. That people will come here because
0:14:40 > 0:14:47it is different. Having a vision is one thing.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Sticking to it is another. In this region, they're taking short-term
0:14:50 > 0:14:54measures to deal with their empty shops but taking the long view as
0:14:54 > 0:14:59well. Stokes Croft has been attracting a lot of attention and
0:14:59 > 0:15:06heather has come to see it for herself. It is not your average
0:15:06 > 0:15:10charity shop. Definitely not. like a designer boutique. Stokes
0:15:10 > 0:15:20Croft has similar problems to Swansea. The empty shops here are
0:15:20 > 0:15:24gradually being filled by something called meanwhile yes. -- use. It is
0:15:24 > 0:15:30trying to get people into buildings by cutting deals also up Ruth Essex
0:15:30 > 0:15:35has been helping with the revival. Three or four years ago, it was
0:15:35 > 0:15:42empty. I spoke to the owner about using it for a temporary exhibition.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46The owner was really happy. It brought it back to life. That deal
0:15:46 > 0:15:51opened the door for 16 artists who are now a year trying to grow their
0:15:51 > 0:16:00own businesses. It is below commercial rates and that is really
0:16:00 > 0:16:04good because it provides start-up space to then test the market.
0:16:04 > 0:16:10Connecting a landlord and a new tenant is not that easy, especially
0:16:10 > 0:16:16if the new user has little money or unconventional ideas. Ruth bridges
0:16:16 > 0:16:20that gap. Some potential tenants or at our two organisations are small
0:16:20 > 0:16:23businesses might find it hard to use the correct language that
0:16:23 > 0:16:30landlords or up to frame their project in a way that would be
0:16:30 > 0:16:35understandable. I support prospective tenants and also
0:16:35 > 0:16:40support landlords and getting their properties used again. UK town
0:16:40 > 0:16:47centres will either have to shrink adapt. Retail gurus like Mary
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Porter says there needs to be more diversity. This man runs the
0:16:51 > 0:16:56People's Republic of stocks Croft, a socialist enterprise attempting
0:16:56 > 0:17:00to revive the area through crafts. It finds itself through selling
0:17:00 > 0:17:05pottery. They say they do not want handouts and all communities must
0:17:05 > 0:17:09look to their own resources to survive. The actual community is
0:17:09 > 0:17:15beginning to realise that it has its own strengths and the ability
0:17:15 > 0:17:22to grow. How do local communities take control? It starts with baby
0:17:22 > 0:17:26steps. Put someone into your public spaces of up the council were not
0:17:26 > 0:17:31actually an enemy although they may seem like it most of the time. You
0:17:31 > 0:17:37and the council should be the same thing. We seem to have developed a
0:17:37 > 0:17:47situation where our bureaucracies have their own lives. It is really
0:17:47 > 0:17:47
0:17:47 > 0:17:52about very gently taking control. Local artists are slowly improving
0:17:52 > 0:17:56the public space themselves. Ruth Essex has now been asked by a
0:17:56 > 0:18:03housing association in Swansea's high street to do the same thing
0:18:03 > 0:18:07there. There have been some really good
0:18:07 > 0:18:14examples here are how local people taking control of their local area
0:18:14 > 0:18:20can really make a difference of up particularly the meanwhile use and
0:18:20 > 0:18:24the groups of artists and creatives getting together to really show how
0:18:24 > 0:18:34when people care about their local area, they can make a difference in
0:18:34 > 0:18:37
0:18:37 > 0:18:41the high street. Back in Swansea's high street, new kid on the block
0:18:41 > 0:18:51Luke is launching his new menu. From this point on, nothing is
0:18:51 > 0:19:01
0:19:01 > 0:19:11Do you want to take our order? call, at Luke has got his mum and
0:19:11 > 0:19:12
0:19:12 > 0:19:16dad in on their the off and even the customers are lending a hand.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21You need somebody doing teas and coffees, taking orders and
0:19:21 > 0:19:31delivering food and hand just kicking and cooking. It is ready
0:19:31 > 0:19:37
0:19:37 > 0:19:47now. 15 minutes. That is not acceptable. Delicious. I will say
0:19:47 > 0:19:49
0:19:49 > 0:19:57you not next week but the week after. It is ready now. It's just
0:19:57 > 0:20:01been mental here. Next door, things are very
0:20:01 > 0:20:07different for Peter. Has he listened to Heather's advice to
0:20:07 > 0:20:14sell fewer, high quality goods? am going the whole hog and having a
0:20:14 > 0:20:24boutiques they will shop. In here, I do not think it would work. It is
0:20:24 > 0:20:29
0:20:29 > 0:20:35getting to him, there is no doubt about it. -- getting grim.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39Heather is on the trail of what makes Swansea special. This was one
0:20:39 > 0:20:45of the first cities to develop a marina and it forms a gateway to a
0:20:45 > 0:20:50miles of golden beaches. Just along the bay from the city centre is the
0:20:50 > 0:20:55Mumbles. For 20 years, Newton Road has been slowly developing a
0:20:55 > 0:21:05distinctive feel centred on its location. It appeals to the place
0:21:05 > 0:21:09
0:21:09 > 0:21:16marketer and heather. -- in Heather. Experts say high streets that offer
0:21:16 > 0:21:21something different and unique are more able to survive the
0:21:21 > 0:21:31competition of online shopping. Heather wanted to know more about
0:21:31 > 0:21:32
0:21:32 > 0:21:37people who may shock and Swansea. - shop in. What a track you most to
0:21:37 > 0:21:41shopping on the internet? It is easy. You can do it when you come
0:21:41 > 0:21:46home and it comes into your door. If I had to drive into town, it
0:21:46 > 0:21:51would be a whole evening taken up. If you could do all your shopping
0:21:51 > 0:21:58online, would you? Probably, with the exception of buying presents
0:21:58 > 0:22:03for people. When you go to the mumbles for shopping, why is that?
0:22:03 > 0:22:07It is a lovely place with some little trinkets and bits and bobs.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12Two years ago, we had a shopping trip to Cardiff and it was great
0:22:12 > 0:22:21but it was the first time in a long while that we had done that. We
0:22:21 > 0:22:27spend more time having lunch than shopping. The choices of Kira and
0:22:27 > 0:22:34others are changing how it our high streets are being run. In the past
0:22:34 > 0:22:4018 months, Swansea has lost nearly 6% of its chain stores. That is 24
0:22:40 > 0:22:44times the UK average. The company who did this research say these are
0:22:44 > 0:22:49significant findings, suggesting the big stores are concentrating on
0:22:49 > 0:22:53fewer, bigger centres like Cardiff. The council says millions are being
0:22:53 > 0:22:57spent trying to improve the centre and that it has bought land here
0:22:58 > 0:23:07hoping that the developer called Hammerson can attract a major
0:23:08 > 0:23:08
0:23:08 > 0:23:13anchor store or and other national change. Council officials had been
0:23:13 > 0:23:18keen to emphasise to was the Parc Hammerson could play, but the
0:23:18 > 0:23:23city's newly elected leader seems to have a more nuanced approach.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28do not want to replicate what has happened elsewhere. I want to
0:23:28 > 0:23:34provide a unique solution. I want to bring a development to Swansea
0:23:34 > 0:23:38that is of scale to the city centre. The people here already are the
0:23:38 > 0:23:43important people. We should not be chasing big-ticket people while
0:23:43 > 0:23:46ignoring the huge investment happening on our doorstep. Local
0:23:46 > 0:23:52politicians are often accused of being too opportunistic and
0:23:52 > 0:23:56abandoning long-term plans to redly. What does Header think about
0:23:56 > 0:24:01Swansea's new leader? My worry is that politicians can get blown off
0:24:01 > 0:24:03course when the next headline- grabbing opportunity comes along.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08Let's see if he can stick to his plans to regenerate Swansea and
0:24:08 > 0:24:12make it more vibrant for the future cost up we put the survey figures
0:24:13 > 0:24:16to the Welsh Local Government Association. They said councils
0:24:16 > 0:24:21were doing their best to improve high streets despite considerable
0:24:21 > 0:24:25financial pressure. Welsh government said we could not rely
0:24:25 > 0:24:30on retail and high streets must be more diverse. Also, traders
0:24:30 > 0:24:37themselves in needed to adapt. It is time for heather to revisit her
0:24:37 > 0:24:45businesses. At Victoria's Bridal, gel is rescuing a customer in a
0:24:45 > 0:24:50panic. The dress from China was an absolute nightmare. All the least
0:24:50 > 0:24:55in the back was sticking out here and two of the buttons fell off
0:24:55 > 0:24:59when I turned round. They're buying rubbish on the Internet and when
0:24:59 > 0:25:06they come in, all right, some of them are lucky and to get nice
0:25:06 > 0:25:12dresses, but most of them put the dresses in the bin or try to return
0:25:12 > 0:25:17them. Whatever some online reviews say about Victoria's Bridal, this
0:25:17 > 0:25:25custom and others cannot praise had enough. This is by far the nicest
0:25:25 > 0:25:32shock. And by far the nicest people! For Jell, it is more proof
0:25:32 > 0:25:37the internet cannot replace local personal service. Since I met you
0:25:37 > 0:25:41last, have you done anything about the Internet? No, I have not.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46Perhaps we will at a later date but at the moment, the business is not
0:25:46 > 0:25:51about anyway. She does seem to be coming around to the suggestion to
0:25:51 > 0:25:55get the business online in the future. I understand the
0:25:55 > 0:25:58difficulties for this business and others like it in the area. A
0:25:58 > 0:26:01concrete jungle with hardly anything on the high street and
0:26:01 > 0:26:06even if people do come, it is difficult for people to get to the
0:26:06 > 0:26:09shops. That is why I think she cannot ignore the online
0:26:09 > 0:26:17environment but it is difficult to know what will happen to shops like
0:26:17 > 0:26:27this if people do not change. about Peter's shop? Is refocusing
0:26:27 > 0:26:28
0:26:28 > 0:26:32his identity now? There is a shame. Not a surprise but a big shame. I
0:26:32 > 0:26:42did not think the business model was right, I did not think his
0:26:42 > 0:26:45
0:26:45 > 0:26:55stock was right. Another NT shop on the high street. -- empty. But at
0:26:55 > 0:26:56
0:26:56 > 0:27:00the �1 Cafe, Luke has taken on to workers. -- two workers. What you
0:27:00 > 0:27:03think about the business model you have set up? It might be just a
0:27:03 > 0:27:07honeymoon period at the moment where people have discovered this
0:27:07 > 0:27:12new place and go there and bop a lot more than they would usually
0:27:12 > 0:27:16and then a few weeks down the line... Do you think you will be
0:27:17 > 0:27:23able to afford to take on employees if the work experience placements
0:27:24 > 0:27:29Colwell and give them a job? Replacement was set up and it is
0:27:29 > 0:27:33perfect for me because they get take these people on. If I get to a
0:27:33 > 0:27:38level where they are selling enough a day to be able to afford to take
0:27:38 > 0:27:42them on, although it would may be only be a part-time basis. Luke
0:27:42 > 0:27:47appears to be doing well but the jury is still out on whether the
0:27:47 > 0:27:54business is sustainable. His determination confirms to Heather
0:27:55 > 0:27:58that the Welsh high street can have a future. The emphasis has to be on
0:27:58 > 0:28:02a change of use for a high street, the encouragement of the creative
0:28:02 > 0:28:10industries, the encouragement of local people who will be loyal to
0:28:10 > 0:28:13the area up. I think Swansea could learn a lot from the stalks Croft
0:28:13 > 0:28:18area of Bristol but that involves councils and other politicians
0:28:18 > 0:28:24talking to each other and sharing what works. People were shopping
0:28:24 > 0:28:29out of town and online. We're not going to stop that! I came here to
0:28:29 > 0:28:33Swansea to see some of the problems indicative of her Welsh high street.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38I really think Swansea has to get its act together and think about
0:28:38 > 0:28:43how it can grow its local independent trading sector. Helping
0:28:43 > 0:28:48them with low-rent saw free space to actually cry their ideas out and
0:28:48 > 0:28:54grow them into businesses. Her final thought as she leaves is