IN THE last seven days we have seen the good and bad sides of Royston s business community. On the one hand we have the members of Royston First s cinema working party doing their best to bring the big screen back to the town. When the Royston First Busin

IN THE last seven days we have seen the good and bad sides of Royston's business community.

On the one hand we have the members of Royston First's cinema working party doing their best to bring the big screen back to the town.

When the Royston First Business Improvement District portfolio was launched, the prospect of a new cinema was one of the most eye-catching items as far as I was concerned.

We have a town that is growing all the time, with new housing springing up all over the place. Are the facilities growing with it? At the moment, you would have to say they're not, so moves to redress the balance should be applauded, even if they will, inevitably, come at a considerable cost.

I for one hope that, with the backing of the relevant local authorities, a community cinema akin to that in Saffron Walden can become a reality sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately, in the same week we saw the Royston Chamber of Commerce reveal that just 13 per cent of independent retailers responded to a survey which asked them what could be done to make Royston a better place.

In a letter to The Crow, Stephen Larcombe, chairman of the Chamber, is remarkably magnanimous when listing all the reasons why so many of Royston's business people showed no interest in improving the town. In the face of such apathy, I would say he and his colleagues have every right to be more than a little put out.

Small, unique, market towns like Royston can, in my opinion, have a future as thriving, vibrant shopping centres. You only have to look at how much busier the Royston market has become in recent months to see what can be done with a bit of hard work.

However if the High Street is to be revitalised too, it will have to be a team effort. Organisations like Royston First and the Chamber of Commerce rely on people giving their time and ideas, as well as their cash. More people must get involved if we really want some of the empty shops to be filled again.