Burnham-On-Sea shops which shutter their windows after closing time are putting off visitors coming to the town, a town councillor claimed this week.
Councillor Ken Smout told a meeting that too many High Street shops in Burnham use metal shutters after closing time, as pictured above.
He said: “It’s a sad reflection on our town that so many shops are shuttered. It gives the impression that Burnham has a serious crime problem. It’s good for visitors to be able to to look into shop windows while wandering through the town.”
But Burnham Chamber Of Trade said it supports the use of shutters. Chairman Alex Turco told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Unfortunately, over the years a great many businesses have suffered smashed windows. Some businesses have been targeted repeatedly.”
“Therefore, obtaining business insurance can be difficult without additional security measures, such as window shutters. In an ideal world all businesses would like the ability to show off their window displays when they are closed, rather than spending thousands of pounds on security installations.”
