A LEADING councillor hopes that the town’s economy can recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

A report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicted that by the end of 2021 the UK’s economy predicts will be more than six per cent smaller than before the Covid health crisis.

Unemployment is also expected to rise to 7.4 per cent by 2021.

Earlier this week, Debenhams announced that they will be going into liquidation.

This means that the company’s Barrow shop will close down, leaving its workers unemployed.

The Mail:

Following the closure of another shop in the town, Barrow Borough Council's deputy leader Lee Roberts is concerned about the subsequent job losses.

“We knew high streets were suffering before Covid-19, which has probably accelerated its decline," he said.

“There is a devastation about the loss of Debenhams and its workers in the Barrow shop, where people working there were supporting a family.

“You can see what’s happening when Marks & Spencer left Barrow.

“You could begin to see a trend where the high street is no longer the home for live retail.”

Despite this, Cllr Roberts is hopeful that the council can revamp Barrow’s high street.

The council have applied for funding from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund.

The Mail:

Cllr Roberts believes this could rejuvenate the town centre.

The council’s lead member for Economic Development explained: “It would revamp the market with the town hall being open to the public and being the focal point to the community and green spaces in the town centre so that people will stay longer.

"There's the potential of course for the Town Deal money and the learning quarter, which has the potential for having a new university campus, so you might have student accommodation in the town which would put a different slant on the nighttime and retail economy."