New Economic Foundation brands Huddersfield a “clone town”

Sep 15 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HUDDERSFIELD has been branded a “clone town” in a report today on Britain’s high streets.

The study by the New Economics Foundation think-tank rated 117 town centres across the UK according to the names and types of stores available.

Those with a high proportion of chain stores and limited diversity of goods on offer were labelled “clone towns” while those with a higher proportion of independent retailers offering a wider choice of products were billed “home towns”.

The report ranked Huddersfield 35th in the list – with a rating of 49.7% – just putting it among the 36 towns classed as “clone towns”.

By contrast, Hebden Bridge was one of the top-performing “home towns” in 82nd place with a rating of 83.7%.

Cambridge was the winning “clone town” with a rating of just 11.6% followed by Reading and Exeter, both on 15.4%.

The top “home town” was Whitstable in Kent at 92.1% followed by Shirebrook in Derbyshire at 91.1% and Normanton on 85.6%.

But Cathy Burger, Huddersfield town centre manager, said the number of independent stores in town was increasing.

“We have seen a decrease in vacancy rates between 2009 and 2010,” she said.

“The smaller units that have opened are all independents – so we are seeing an increasing number of independents filling the empty spaces.