Commuters can help towns thrive

A lot has changed in that time. Most notably, industry. Dursley's Lister Petter moving out.

Sainsbury’s moving in. Jobs disappearing, jobs being created. It’s been a constant rollercoaster of work, a constant seismic shifting of employability in the town.

But we're not alone. All over the county we are seeing changes in how towns function.

Gloucestershire is a county than is a force for industry. Downton Transport. The Superdry Group. Messier-Dowty. Bottlegreen drinks. So many major, global businesses reside in our county to work, build, grow.

People travel to these companies – but people also travel further afield, yet still live in Gloucestershire. And they don’t want to move. They don’t want to leave Gloucestershire and its countryside, its traditions, its calmness.

And so, with the 2011 census revealing a population growth of 5.7 per cent in the county, commuter towns have developed.

Commuter towns. Even saying the phrase can create great divides. What, people, say, is the good of a commuter town? What can it do? With simply commuters in towns, how can they survive?

Well, they can survive just fine. I see it every day. I see it in Dursley, the town Lister Petter has occupied for years and is now departing from. Yes, it leaves a huge hole in its wake, but it’s a hole that can be filled. By homes, by people. People are coming into the town and it’s changing as a result.

If you think it can’t be done, look at Nailsworth. 15 years ago it was like Dursley, in need of a boost. And that boost came – in the form of commuters.

People realised it was a place to live, bring up their families, yet still be able to get on a train and be in London within two hours. And look at Nailsworth now. It is thriving. Delis, restaurants, shops. This boom in commuter-ville has helped Nailsworth to transform into a different place.

Cool, bohemian – and one where people want to live and spend their money. Money which feeds back into the local economy, creates jobs, attracts tourism.

Being a commuter town is a good thing. Yes, we need industry and without jobs, we simply cannot survive. But an influx of people brings opportunities.

I came to Cam as a commuter, and now I’m a resident. And I know many more like me, and hopefully, many more to come.

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