A tiny Welsh town which holds the coveted title of the UK’s best ‘High Street’ has revealed that they are slowly being killed off by ‘dodgy’ businesses setting up shop where they aren’t wanted.
Britain’s High Streets are in crisis with hundreds of businesses closing every week only to be replaced by vape shops, cardless barbers and hated Harry Potter shops.
According to statistics from the Local Data Company, 14 per cent of High Street shops across the country are now empty and the numbers keep rising.
More than 13,000 shops closed their doors for good in 2024 – an increase of 28 per cent on the year before, the highest figure since the Centre for Retail Research (CRR), which compiled the report, began collecting the data in 2015.
Overall then it’s a bleak picture, but in one small Welsh community nestled in the picturesque Rhondda Fawr Valley there are signs of encouragement to be found.
Although separated by a dirty main road which spews noise and air pollution out into the area, both sides of Treorchy’s main High Street are a hive of activity with customers spilling out of the assorted independent shops.
In the cafes, pensioners chat to one another over their coffees and there’s only two vape shops to be found.
However, locals claim that in recent years trade on the High Street has fallen off a cliff and new businesses have brought anti-social behaviour and even ‘gang warfare’.
Both sides of Treorchy’s main High Street are a hive of activity with customers spilling out of the assorted independent shops
Tracey Powell, 58, operates a Welsh souvenir shop and praised the friendly community spirit. But she warned ‘there are already too many vape and barber shops’
In the cafes, pensioners chat to one another over their coffees and there’s only two vape shops to be found
Residents told MailOnline the glory days of 2020 when they received the top crown at the Great British High Street Award feel like a distant memory, with all too familiar problems creeping into their community since the horror of Covid.
Graham Baker, 86, has lived in Treorchy all his life and is incredibly proud of the town but fears increased problems with traffic could soon damage its brand.
He explained: ‘They’re reducing the parking at the local co-op which could hurt us. We try and avoid having vape shops, if people shop local you can control it a bit.
‘It’s very congested, the shops might be busy but the road is a mess.’
Kevin Edwards agreed, adding: ‘It’s mayhem with all the cars here but it shows people are coming to the area. It is a hub really. It’s always been a place where the community comes together.
‘People take pride in keeping the high street together and shopping local.’
When shops have been at risk of closure after falling on hard times, the community reaction has been immediate and respiratory.
Bradley Lewes, 30, works in one of the many charity shops littered along the street and recalls one incident that saw a rival pulled back from the brink.
He explained: ‘Everyone comes together to help each other at all times. Even when shops are in trouble and about to close, people flock to it to help it in their time of need.
Some residents told MailOnline the glory days of 2020 feel like a distant memory
Suzanne Thomas, 72, works in a thriving independent shop in Treorchy and warned that local discontent was rising
The breath-taking town puts an impetus on ensuring the community is at the heart of everything they do
The looming spectre of decay hangs over the town and locals fear they will soon be inundated with new speciality vape shops and barbers
Card shop owner Ceri Davis believes the writing is already on the wall and admitted he would ‘close today if I could shift my stock’
‘Multiple shops along this road have been saved like this.’
Bradley’s neighbour Tracey Powell, 58, operates a Welsh souvenir shop and echoed his ‘use it or lose it’ mentality.
She said: ‘It’s a friendly community and we have a lot of elderly who like coming out to shop and use the cafes. We like meeting people. High streets need to build a happy community to survive these days.’
However, Tracey admits that the looming spectre of decay hangs over the town and fears they will soon be inundated with new speciality vape shops and barbers if more support is not given.
She cautioned: ‘There are already too many vape and barber shops and some shops are shutting. We worry they will take over, we’re not immune and we don’t want to be like Porth.’
Nearby Porth has been ‘overrun’ by Turkish-style barber shops with locals now in revolt over plans to open yet another – with even the men who work in them saying the number is becoming unsustainable.
There are already five catering for the 6,000 residents on top of seven traditional hairdressing salons, all on just two streets and within a six-minute walk.
Last week, a Kurdish businessman revealed he wants to open a sixth barber shop in a shuttered-up shop – sparking opposition from the local business community who say the town is already ‘saturated’ with one salon for every 500 residents.
Charity shop worker Bradley Lewes, 30, commended villagers for pulling together and helping stores when it appeared they were on the brink of closure
In reward for their efforts, the town won top prize at the 2020 Great British High Street Awards
Locals fear the congested main road that cuts through the town could damage its charm
Pictured: An aerial view of Treorchy and its surrounding villages. The tiny Welsh town holds the coveted title of the UK’s best ‘High Street’ but has warned times are tough
There are a further six Kurdish barbers shops in neighbouring towns of Blackwood and Newbridge – barely ten miles from Porth – where cut-throat competition led to mob violence earlier this year.
The concerns come after police have warned of criminals infiltrating the industry by setting up barber shops as front companies to launder the proceeds of crimes like drug dealing.
More than 750 barbers opened in the UK last year despite a broader High Street downturn – raising suspicions that some are being used by gangs.
Suzanne Thomas, 72, works in a thriving independent shop in Treorchy and warned that local discontent was rising.
She said: ‘Vape shops and barbers are creeping in. We are not happy. We won that award in 2020 but since then so many people have gone. The butchers and the Welsh shop. If everyone leaves we won’t be any different.
‘We won’t be special. We don’t have any franchised coffee shops at the moment as people here prefer to drink locally. We’d probably chase them out.’
Another business owner, who preferred to stay anonymous, echoed concerns, saying: ‘These new, often foreign businesses, have ruined the country. We used to be so much busier and only the locals can tell the difference.
‘We want people to come for our products. We’d love a butcher – at one time we had at least ten butchers here. It will never be how it used to.’
Despite its glittering reputation, many locals in Treorchy are living from paycheck to paycheck with no certainty of the future of their cherished community.
And some business owners like Ceri Davis believe the writing is already on the wall.
Nearby Porth has been ‘overrun’ by Turkish-style barber shops with locals now in revolt over plans to open yet another (Pictured: Two Porth barbers)
A brawl erupted earlier this year in the South Wales town of Blackwood over a barber that was set to open in the nearby town of Newbridge
He said: ‘I would close today if I could shift my stock. I was closing down one of my shops today, I used to have three. Our turnover is down 50 per cent in three years. Footfall has gone down. We’ve even had gang warfare between us and the town up the road.
‘Things have changed here, we’re definitely not the high street of the year anymore.’
The breath-taking town puts an impetus on ensuring the community is at the heart of everything they do and implemented successful high street initiatives including regular cultural events such as a Christmas Parade and the Rhondda Arts Festival.
They also created the ‘Visit Treorchy’ website to give local businesses a greater presence online – as before this, only 32 per cent of businesses had a website – while a strategic partnership provides digital training and support to local entrepreneurs.
A ‘Hop, Shop and Save’ scheme offers businesses advertising space on local buses in return for in store discounts for customers.
This helps to promote public transport, reduce air pollution and drive footfall to high street outlets – 80 per cent of which are independently owned.
To the uninitiated little seems to have changed in Treorchy since the halcyon days of 2020. New Welsh flags have been added to the buildings on each side of the road perhaps, admittedly making the street look like a parochial version of The Mall.
However, locals say that the difference has been seismic and many are now fearing for their livelihoods.
