Tower and Town, March 2019

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Marlborough Business Community

Is there any one organisation which represents the Marlborough Business Community?

Not really. Some years ago I set up a Retailers' Association, a lobby organisation to represent the views of the shops in town, but that no longer exists. There is the Marlborough Area Development Trust (see the interview with Martin Cook on page 8) but that does something a bit different. The Marlborough Area Board gives grants, and works with local people to find solutions to local issues, and then there's the local Chamber of Commerce, but its focus is more towards the professions. Most of my involvement now revolves around networking and sharing best practice.

What have been the main concerns of local businesses?

Rents and rates must be at the top of the list, and both are very high. Marlborough is a popular destination and commercial property commands a high value. A lot of High Street property is owned by absentee landlords or pension funds. It's very difficult for a tenant to have a close working relationship with a landlord to run and grow the business - the landlords themselves are running businesses and know that eventually a tenant will come along who will pay the high rent.

Rates tend to follow rents and are another huge cost for the retailer. The whole system of business rates is pretty archaic and needs reforming. Rates are determined by such things as the size of shop frontage and in Marlborough whether or not you are on the north 'sunny side' of the street. High rents and high rates make life on the High Street very tough.

What are the main opportunities and challenges for the town?

Retailers need to be more innovative to stay alive. Chains can subsidise the rates for their businesses in Marlborough, but independents do not have that sort of clout, so they need to reinvent themselves. In terms of planning the Council has an overall plan but little control over detail, so it is important if we wish to retain the character of the High Street that the independent businesses survive.

Hopefully Visit Wiltshire's Great West Way might help to develop the local economy, but there's not much else happening that's going to make a substantial difference. Marlborough is an experience that needs to be promoted as such - retailers have to be proactive.

Bob Holman

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