A good way to go about closing shops

Already the florists has shut down, the newsagents is suffering from Orchards selling papers and now they want to take trade from Cheers the off-licence.

Has the council actually been to see where these shops are situated and seen what an important resource they are for local people?

Maybe when all the shops bar Orchards have closed and the council loses the rental income from them, it will think again, but it may be too late. Surely a shop has the right to protest about someone else applying for a licence which may well end up causing them to close down?

We need to take a much wider view of what we are doing to communities and how we are affecting them long term...or perhaps the council wants to see a row of empty shops boarded up and covered in graffiti. - Mave Dellor, St Fremund Way. Leamington.