THERE was fighting talk of saving Shaftesbury's shops by addressing the crisis over car parking when the town's chamber of commerce relaunched itself last week.

As the town reels over the loss of car parking spaces while the new Tesco's supermarket is being constructed, the Shaftesbury and District Chamber of Commerce - as it is now known - has undergone a radical change to meet the new challenges ahead and has declared a mission not to let trade suffer.

Chairman James Thrift described the town's battle over parking when members met on Wednesday.

The main topic of conversation on the night was fears that shoppers are giving the town a wide berth because of inadequate parking.

Announcing the chamber's new policy statement, Mr Thrift said it would seek to ensure adequate parking in the town centre for the next 20 years, encourage more retailers and look towards appointing a town manager.

He said: "We can no longer stand alone, being Shaftesbury on top of the hill.

"We can no longer sit and wait for people to come to the town to spend their money. We have to go out there and get them.

"Thirty years ago they foresaw what would happen here and it has, even down to the split of the town and the parking problems.

"The old constitution we were working to was in a different language.

"I hope that we have created a chamber that will last for the next 50 years and be ready for the challenges of the next 20 years, and I hope that with the benefit of hindsight of what we've seen we are not going to blow it."

The chamber has widened its remit to include districts within around five miles of Shaftesbury.

First published: Sept 20