Businesses should be positive about the economic situation in Shrewsbury despite more than 60 empty shops in the centre, the chairman of the town’s business chamber said today.

Simon Airey today said trade over the Christmas period had not been as bad as expected by business owners and said a positive outlook was the only way to get through the economic situation.

But empty shops can be seen on many of the town’s streets as well as in the three shopping centres.

Mr Airey said: “There’s always more empty shops at this time of year because a lot of shops are taken on a very short term lease for Christmas.

“The feedback I have got from people around town is that Christmas was not too bad and not as bad as they expected. Some people had really good Christmases.

“A lot of the national companies had sales before Christmas so that drew people into town so that helped.

“Obviously the difficult time is going to be the first quarter of this year. We do have new shops opening. 

“We have one in Claremont Street. There is some movement on properties out there.”

Mr Airey said he did not think Shrewsbury had been hit as hard as other places. “We have the theatre opening soon, which will bring new people into town and increase the catchment area,” he said.

“We need to be positive because people will either survive or they won’t and it’s only by being a bit more positive, we will get through a very difficult period.”

Businessman Andy Berry, who had to close the Shrewsbury Eco Shop last year, said the banks needed to do more to help smaller businesses.

He said: “We were growing quite a lot but could not get any finance. We were given various reasons by the bank. The reasons we were given were not really relevant to the business.

“They do not loan to small businesses. They have been given billions of pounds and the economy won’t work unless finance is put in.

“I think we could see quite a few more go,” he said.

Councillor Peter Nutting, leader of Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council, said: “As leader of the council, I’m impressed with the large number of small independent businesses and how well they all seem to be doing at this present time.

“I do think that smaller businesses are important to Shrewsbury and the council will do all it can to support small independent businesses.”