MOANERS and doom predictors get ready for action – Bolton town centre and other local towns like Westhoughton are neither beyond help nor the worst examples post-recession.

I’m just mentioning this opinion because I am absolutely sick and fed up to the back teeth of individuals whingeing on about the state of our town centres as though we hadn’t noticed a change and they were kindly pointing this out.

The facts: the recession has hit our town centres badly and that, along with significant changes in the way we now shop, has made a big difference to the way they now look.

Admittedly, soaring business rates only add to the problems. But, what is happening here is absolutely no different than what is happening around the country. Just go and visit other places and you will see for yourselves.

There is no disputing the number of empty shops and that there are a disproportionate number of pound shops, charity shops and betting shops to what remains.

Cllr David Greenhalgh’s call to flatten some of the major “grot spots” in the worst parts of the town centre is also a good idea, provided the Council owns the land concerned which, in some cases, it doesn’t.

Grassing over those it does until other plans can be put in place would at least improve the look of the town centre, especially its important gateways.

However, there IS good news surrounding the retail life of the town centre. The Market Place is now a thriving central retail hub with a major offering of famous names and is a venue of choice for food and entertainment. It’s also an acknowledged retail destination, which puts cash in the tills.

The Link, the former car-park on Crown Street, is starting to shape up as a retail, leisure and residential development which will become home to many independent businesses. And the response from businesses has been very positive.

Bolton Interchange is transforming that end of the town centre and Newport Street’s shops have been given fresh frontages to vastly improve the look of that main thoroughfare.

Town centres do change but there is a great need by local people to keep confidence high – confidence in their town and confidence in existing local businesses. In other words, it’s really not helpful at all to talk down our town centres.

Don’t employ rose-tinted spectacles but do keep positive. And keep shopping.