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Retailing plays an important role in ensuring the economic vitality and viability of a town centre however this paper offers a distorted perspective by implying that intensive large scale redevelopment is required. There are two problems associated with this approach, firstly, that it destroys the historic street pattern and extinguishes evening life - this is not a recipe for enhanced diversity of use, conservation or a sense of place and community and secondly, evidence suggests that the decline of high street retailing is a long term trend. The council should plan on the basis of Leamington's identity and character rather than relating to its relationship with other non comparable centres, such as Coventry and Birmingham.