The recent Marks and Spencer closure confirms the need for drastic action on Naas town centre. This is the last remaining grocery store within the town centre to close and also comes at a time when many other kinds of stores in the town are closing down too. It’s time for some fresh thinking.

In the past decade we’ve seen new supermarkets develop and do good business outside the town. There is plenty of population there to support local business but they need to be brought back into the town centre to ensure the heart of the town retains its vibrancy.

Rates competition between in-town and out-of-town developments needs to be stopped, plentiful and clamp-free parking needs to be provided inside the town and start-ups and struggling businesses must get rates concessions.

Furthermore, developing pedestrian spaces within the town centre would also help footfall, most of Naas town is still laid out along the Main Street where traffic was king, we need to make it now about pedestrians and create a layout for shoppers and strollers.

Leisure and cultural activities in the centre would also help, and some creative thinking, allowing local artists set-up ‘pop-up’ studios and markets in some of the vacant lots for example. Activity breeds activity and we need people.