We are surrounded by opinions on how things should be done. Social media loves it chatter, and influences thought. The lines are blurred by living in a democracy but still wanting an individual to tell us what to do. This is a dangerous path as the USA are showing us right now. In my local Soller world many local businesses occupying prime locations are coming up for retirement. The owners, needing to achieve their retirement objectives, are selling to the highest bidder. Why wouldn’t they in a free market? The objections are loud and centre on losing essential services to ‘out of town’ chains. We must protect our local services and keep everything local, is the chant.
Words are cheap and might give vent to emotions but are ineffective in this situation. The seller will sell to the highest bidder and completes in the quickest time frame. There is no room for delay in a retirement sale.
It is then the moans start, and the Town Hall are blamed for letting another essential business become a tourist shop. The only way this can change is if a Local Authority has a declared and agreed town plan. It needs power to restrict which kind of business can be present in its streets. This is a rarity in a democracy, and it is market forces which dictate. The Town Hall will cluck about this near election times and appear to be sympathetic to the public mood. As for actually doing anything – very unlikely.
So, the people chatter and moan. Premises are sold and quickly take shape into a 2025 version of perceived need. Another service disappears from the streets, and we lament the loss of a butcher, a photo shop, a delicatessen, an art shop and more in past months. How many more ice cream outlets, tourist souvenirs and sandal shops do we need? This the question which does not appear to have an answer.