I AGREE with your front page (March 19); we have to many empty shops in Evesham.

How can this be? We are building houses all around Evesham, including local villages, like they are going out of fashion.

I have a possible solution. When builders apply for permission to build large quantities of new developments as well as including a percentage of social housing they should be obliged to provide assistance to individual town centre shops.

Perhaps for every 50 houses built the building contractor should provide financial assistance in the form of paying for the rent/rates for five years, and possibly a percentage towards utilities.

Let's breath new life into Evesham, even if it means looking at a different approach to fill our shops.

Terry Young

Evesham