Scottish Parliament committee set to visit Hamilton as part of town centre inquiry

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A Scottish Parliament committee will visit Hamilton this month as part of an inquiry into town centres and retail.The Economy and Fair Work Committee will seek views on the realties of ecommerce and the impact it has in shopping locally.It will work to establish and understand the policy needed to create living and resilient town centres which are up against the challenges faced in this sector across the country.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android In recent years, Hamilton has been bearing the brunt of the decline of the high street as much as anywhere with the devastating closures of shops such as M&S.However local groups such as Hamilton Our Town, Business Improvement District (BID) have remained pro-active in finding ways to support businesses and increase footfall in the town.That's seen initiatives such as the Christmas and Easter street markets which proved to be a huge success in providing family entertainment and engagement back to the town centre while helping local firms.And it's Hamilton BID who will be hosting the Scottish Parliament committee visit.

They will provide a walking tour of Hamilton town centre to MSPs in attendance, tasked with tackling issues faced in the country's high streets.The event on May 16 will see Deputy Convener Colin Beattie, and two other members including MSPs