How (not) to save our towns

Have you walked up your local high street recently? Have you seen the boarded-up buildings and charity shops? Well, don't worry, says blogger Andrew Owen: someone has a plan.

Hazel Blears, the communities secretary, was today announcing a scheme to breathe life into Britain's growing number of ghost towns.

No, she's not going to help struggling businesses being crippled by high rates and the seemingly unstoppable growth of the supermarkets. Don't be silly.

No, what she wants to do is take empty buildings in towns across Britain and turn them into temporary "social enterprises" such as art galleries and learning centres.

Up to £3m will be on offer to communities to find creative ways of reducing the "negative impact" of empty shops.

Yes, instead of finding ways to use empty shops to generate jobs, we're going to put up a few pictures. Inspired.

She's also planning to give community businesses - such as post offices and pubs - extra protection during the downturn.

Yes, that's extra protection announced by the same government which has taxed pubs to the point of unprofitability, allowed supermarkets to kill off all competition and sell alcohol at a knock-down rate, and seen to it that post offices have closed left, right and centre.

It's a bit like someone setting fire to your house and then trying to sell you a smoke alarm.

And there was me starting to worry that nobody in charge had any ideas for getting us out of the mess we're in.