RAYLEIGH must learn from the success of Leigh with a mix of independent shops, restaurants and cultural events to improve the town, traders say.

In October, Rochford District Council will canvass residents and shopkeepers on what improvements they would like to see in the town centre The council is putting together an area action plan provide the blueprint for development in the town in the years to come.

Rayleigh’s Chamber of Trade believes the town needs a more innovative solution than the usual demands of more parking, and members are looking to Leigh as an example of how things can be done.

Carl Watson, chairman of the group, said it is about getting the right mixture of shops.

He said: “Leigh is a local example of a town which has got it right. They’ve got a great mixture of independent shops and well-known bars and restaurants.

“In Rayleigh we’ve got plenty of hairdressers and estate agents, which is great, but you sometimes feel like the retail side has been forgotten.”

Mr Watson believes the town has the cultural and historical assets but should be exploiting them better.

He says: “Look at some of the historic buildings we’ve got in the town, like the windmill and the Dutch cottage. We need to be using them to bring people in.”

“There are already some great cultural events like Rayleigh in bloom and the Christmas lights, but we need more. What about developing the farmers’ market so it sells more local produce?”

His views are echoed by Martin Hodson, who owns Peak Security Systems, in Station Road.

He says: “Some people think markets take shoppers away from other shops, but I think they do the opposite. I think if we had a really successful regular market in Rayleigh it would bring people into all the other shops.”

Like all towns, Rayleigh is feeling the brunt of the recession. Six stores have closed in the past four months, while it also suffers from the supermarket effect. After Tesco moved out of the town centre, Rayleigh now competes with out-of-town superstores, such as Sainsbury’s at Rayleigh Weir and a new Asda store in Rawreth Lane.

One way the Rayleigh Chamber of Trade believe shoppers can be attracted back into the town centre is pedestrianisng part of the High Street.

Mr Watson says: “We would like the public to feel more relaxed as they walk around the town.

“It works really well when it closes for Christmas so why not look at ways we can extend it year round?”

Keith Hudson, cabinet member for planning at Rochford town council, said the area action plan was about ensuring against patchwork development in the town.

He says: “We have got very little money to spend.

“It’s about providing a coherent strategy for future development.

“It’s not about spending money, it’s about preserving the heritage the town already has and identifying little bits where things can be improved.”

“If people do tell us they want part of the High Street pedestrianised, which is clearly very costly, then we can go to our partners, like Essex County Council, and say this is what people want, can we make it happen?”

It is not only Rochford Council which believes throwing money at the problem is not the solution.

Edward Byford used to own Byfords butchers, which stood in the High Street for 33 years.

He says basics, like a clean and tidy shop front and good local produce, can make all the difference.

He says: “We sold home-made pies and home-cured bacon and hams. The front and back of or shop was always clean and tidy and our staff look smart – sometimes that’s all you need.”

Mr Byford thinks with the right attitude there is still hope for the town.

He says: “I’m born and bred in Rayleigh. I want to see the town prosper and as long as there are local businesses prepared to put in the hard work, I think the town has a chance.”

There are certainly plenty of ideas on how the town centre might be improved, the task will be putting them into practice.