Largs business owners speak out over town's regeneration

The owner of one local firm said it was a "complete waste of time" trying to come up with ways of attracting more people to visit the town without a solution to concerns over parking.

Other issues raised by local business owners at the latest meeting of the Largs Community Action Group (LCAG) included litter and cleanliness in the town and the appearance of some of the shop fronts.

A public meeting organised by LCAG was held in April to discuss concerns raised after a spate of shop closures.

Concerns raised at that meeting included high business rates, the need for better signage for shops away from the main thoroughfare, the accessibility of grant funding, and the need to encourage more residents to 'shop local'.

A second meeting, a week after the first, was organised to begin work on finding solutions to those worries.

Robin Spencer agreed to carry out a survey of businesses in the town to help create an action plan for the "regeneration of business in Largs".

That survey involved face-to-face interviews with a sample of 50 business owners in the town about their trading experiences.

The survey's results were revealed at LCAG's latest meeting at the Vikingar.

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The survey revealed that 21 business owners thought that the new parking rules imposed by North Ayrshire Council were a "critical issue that needs to be addressed".

One business owner even refused to participate in the survey because of the "one hour and no return" parking restrictions which were introduced to the area in spring this year.

That business owner stated: "It is a complete waste of time trying to find ways to attract more business for retailers in Largs until the parking issue is resolved.

"More visitors will just make the parking situation even worse, which will actually put people off from coming here."

There is a one-hour parking restriction on Main Street in Largs (Image: Newsquest)

The restrictions were introduced in the spring as part of a new regime of 'decriminalised parking enforcement', introduced across North Ayrshire, that saw the power to hand out parking fines pass from Police Scotland to North Ayrshire Council (NAC).

A freedom of information request recently revealed that more parking fines had been handed out in Largs than anywhere else in North Ayrshire during the first three months of the new regime.

Of a total of 893 offenders in Largs, 108 people were fined at the Gateside Street car park and 107 in Main Street.

Profit findings

Mr Spencer's survey also asked businesses in the town about their 'profitability satisfaction' now compared to before the Covid pandemic.

There was a sharp divide in the responses, with those which have been trading for more than six years much more satisfied than those which have opened more recently.

Of the 38 eligible businesses asked, 59 per cent said their annual profits were greater than six years ago, but 22 per cent said profits had fallen, with eight of the latter blaming rising costs and a lack of footfall.

Of the 12 businesses surveyed that had been trading for less than six years, more than half said profits had fallen, blaming rising overheads and a loss of customers due to parking problems in the town.

Behind parking, the second biggest concern raised in the survey related to the the tidiness of the town and the need to improve how it looks.

One respondent said: "Improve the cleanliness about town, especially the fish and chip/kebab paper."

Another added: "Largs is looking rough."

Regeneration of Largs

And a few comments were made about improving the look of the shop fronts by "painting the outside of some buildings" for a refresh.

During the Vikingar meeting, one business owner suggested that that local shops could start an 'Adopt a Flower Bed' initiative as a solution to spruce up the overgrown and neglected planters in the town.

The News previously reported on a failed attempt by Conservative councillor Tom Marshall to secure cash for summer bedding plants to brighten up the town centre’s flower beds at a North Ayrshire Council meeting.

Funding for bedding plants was cut from NAC’s 2024-25 budget in February, when councillors voted on the authority’s spending plans for the new financial year.

Before and after: Plant displays in Largs Main Street (Image: Newsquest)

Community councillor Jamie Black, who attended the meeting, said: "It was a really positive meeting. I think the report, and the research which has been done, has shown that there is a lot of thriving businesses in Largs and it is a vibrant economy.

"It also does show a real demand for some things to improve, some of which are historical.

"The group are working with us and the community council for the place plan.

"We will see if we can do our bit to help get the changes needed."