Most of the shops in the town are individually or locally owned, but when a national retailer decides to open a branch here, the planners have no powers to stop them and few powers to influence the appearance of their shop-fronts. A case could be made for giving planners such powers, when it could frequently be demonstrated that the presence of these shops would seriously affect the look, character and functioning of the town. Most big retailers, whether they be TESCO or BETFRED, don’t care upon whose toes they tread, nor do they have any concerns about the way their shop-fronts will degrade the visual and architectural integrity of the town.
Now another megalithic, retailer is about to settle its uncompromising presence right in the heart of the town. W.H.SMITH are opening in King Street, directly opposite Costa Coffee, another interloper which offers very little to commend it.
W.H.Smith you may be sure will make no visual concessions to Ludlow, and will very likely cause damage to several perfectly good existing individual businesses in the town.
The town could remain the wonderful place that it is if the inhabitants were consulted about the arrival of these retailers who will change the face of the place radically and permanently if they are not reined in, and while Ludlow grows in popularity as a destination, more will be tempted to outbid small local retailers for the available space. It should be added that it isn’t only large businesses that impose this kind of ugliness on the town and the case for some kind of visual restraint grows stronger.

A Period Frontage to be Proud of

A Fine Victorian Frontage

All in the Best Possible Taste