One person said the high street “isn’t the place it used to be”

Locals say their town’s high street needs to be improved, as it has “no banks” and they have to travel further away for a “big food shop”. People in Chatteris have said their hometown is “charming”.

However, as in many high streets across the UK, they say that their shops are disappearing and places are being left vacant. Like many others, people living in Chatteris wish to see their high street improved.

Andrea Moat, who runs the “busy” Elizabeth’s Florist in Chatteris, said it is a “pity” the high street is looking more empty. She said: “It’s a pity there is not a big supermarket closer. People have to travel further out of town. There are also no banks. It’s harder for older people.”

People are able to use Chatteris post office for banking, which Elizabeth said is “really good”. However, the nearest bank is Lloyds in Ely, which is a 21-minute drive away, or Nationwide in St Ives, which is a 28-minute drive away.

Andrea doesn’t run an online service for her florist. She added: “We have a website, but if you want to order then you have to come into the shop. I think there should be a personal service. We are always busy.”

Joan Bridges said Chatteris is a “really lovely place”, but it “lacks somewhere for a big food shop”. She added: “You tend to have to travel a bit for a supermarket. It isn’t the worst thing, but for someone like me who’s a bit older, it tends to be a bit harder.”

Rob Hudson believes the town “isn’t the place it used to be”. He said: “When I first moved here, it was a great place full of friendly people. Now the high street is more empty. The people are the same and friendly, but the high street isn’t the same.”