Harry Phibbs says local discretion is the only answer to tackling the decline of the high street, squeezed by a combination of recession and onlinbe shopping.

Mary Portas, the retail guru noted for her innovative approach to the Harvey Nichols window displays in the 1990s, last month produced a report for the Prime Minister about reviving the high street. She proposes an awful lot of gimmicks which left me groaning. 'Put in place a Town Team,' 'Establish a new National Market Day,' etc.