Call for government action over town's vape shops

Businesses have called for government action as they claim the rising number of vape shops is adversely affecting footfall in their town in north Nottinghamshire.

Philip Jackson, chairman of Worksop Business Forum, said there were about 10 vape shops within the town which "don't bring in the customers that we need".

He wants the government to give councils more power on the types of shops that open up in their area.

However John Dunne, director general at the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) said there is a demand for vape shops and he believed they have had a "positive effect on the high street" through jobs and revenue.

Councils do not currently have a say when a shop changes from one retail unit to another.

Jackson, who supports local business in Worksop, said: "What I'd like to see is the government giving the councils more powers.

"Having the same types of business isn't good for the area.

"The council's hands are tied. The vape shops and the barbers don't bring in the customers that we need generally in town.

"We've lost a lot [of footfall]. We can do more to get some of it back, but we certainly won't get it all back."

Jane Parkinson, 56, is the third generation owner of CW Waddington Menswear which opened in 1930 in Worksop.

"If my grandfather came back now he would be astonished at the change. The demise of local independent shops is tragic to be honest", she said.

"I would rather have premises open than just lines of empty shops which is frankly depressing. However we need variety, we need specialist independent shops.

"There are empty units and the same type of shops and we will end up with a ghost town."

Chris Coyle, who run runs Worksop Heel Bar set up by his father in 1979, said there was a lack of diversity on the high street.

He said: "Lots of new shops have opened but they are all the same.

"I don't like seeing an empty shop, but having the same thing over and over again isn't doing the town centre any good either.

"There is less footfall, people reach a certain point walking up the high street and then they just turn around and walk the other way.

"My dad has seen a lot more change than I have and he says in the past it did spring back, but not so much now. It seems to be on a decline."

Labour district councillor Steve Scotthorne said Bassetlaw District Council was "not in a position to stop" vape shops opening.

"With licensing, we have our hands tied, but what we can do, we can only work within the law.

"It definitely frustrates me to see the vape shops there."

Jo White MP for Bassetlaw said the area was awarded £20m from the government for Pride in Place funding which could be used to tackle the issue.

She said: "I want local people to have a greater say on the way our high streets are developing.

"The council can use the Pride in Place [funding] to open up shops that are empty and support independents so vape shops are unable to operate here.

"If that doesn't work, I want to see the government giving councils greater planning powers so that they can have control over the mix of shops on our high streets."

A government spokesperson said: "For too long, high streets across the country have been overlooked and neglected.

"We're changing this by investing up to £5bn in communities to revive high streets including £20m for Worksop, and giving local people new powers to block vape shops so we can restore pride in place."

John Dunne, director general at the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) believes the shops were a positive addition to the high street.

"Vaping is the most popular way that people give up smoking. We now have five million adults using these products regularly in the UK and it's important that these products are available where adults are shopping.

"There are retailers out there that are not doing a good job and it's really important to get that balance right.

"We have been pushing the government for many years to bring in a licensing scheme for retailers that sell vaping products.

"The framework would look at things like if retailers are selling legal products and if there are robust age verification processes in place," he said.