THE BID by traders in Clitheroe to stop charity shops taking over the town centre, now that it has nine, may be tinged with self-interest, but it nonetheless asks worthwhile questions about the preservation of the High Street.

There is no doubt that these shops fulfil useful functions.

Nationwide they raise £100million a year for good causes.

As recyclers of vast amounts of clothing and other goods, they help numerous less well-off people.

And they thrive because of demand.

But what of the concern - now provoking Clitheroe Chamber of Trade to demand by-law limits on how many can occupy one spot - that they enjoy unfair advantages over other retail businesses and contribute little to the local economy?

That is an uncertain issue since, restricted by law on the amount of new goods they can sell, they can hardly be said to compete with other traders.

And, by filling empty shop units, they might also be said to be helping to regenerate town centres that are threatened by out-of-town developments by bringing custom to the High Streets.

But Clitheroe's traders do seem to have a valid point if they are complaining not so much about the existence of charity shops, but the concentration of them in one small locality - and nine does seem a high number for a small town.

It is important that our High Streets, if they are to remain attractive and competitive, retain a good retail mix. That can be as much harmed, for instance, by traditional shopping streets being taken over a string of banks or building society as it can by a succession of charity shops.

Thus, while these shops may have a place and a useful function in our towns, they perhaps need planning regulation to ensure that the High Street's vital character and miscellany is not lost.

And this is particularly the case in smaller towns which already have to struggle harder against the competition of shopping centres in larger towns and in out-of-town developments.

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