People are being urged to keep supporting their local shops in villages and towns around Dumfries and Galloway.
The message was issued by Councillor Malcolm Johnstone and backed by Save Our Sands campaigner John Dowson in the wake of their bid to have the Whitesands flood defence scheme shelved in favour of re-inflating the region’s economy.
Councillor Johnstone said: “I would just like to ask people in and around Dumfries to keep supporting their local shops during the coronavirus crisis.
“They have stayed open to serve the public and I would urge customers to show them some loyalty and especially after the situation returns to normal
and continue to shop at these stores.”
He added: “A lot of shops in the towns and villages have stayed open and are a lifeline for many people during this crisis.
“However, they have suffered over the years from competition by big supermarkets and online shopping, so it would be nice to support these businesses all year round when we get back to normal.
“They have been there when people need them and it would be good to reward them for all their efforts.”
Meanwhile, Mr Dowson, spokesman for SOS (Save Our Sands), echoed Councillor Johnstone’s sentiments.
They had recently called for the local authority to put plans on hold for the flood protection scheme and instead divert the £25m funding to breathe new life into the economy after being ravaged by the effects of Covid-19 and enforced lockdowns of communities.
He said: “I fully back Malcolm’s call for the support of the local shops who have kept open to serve the public.
“And like he said, they have all been facing fierce competition from the supermarket giants, so it would be nice to give them a turn and especially when this awful situation is finally over and we get back to some sort of normality.”
