Maybe if the rent was less they would be able to get new businesses started,with rents around the £35000 mark its unlikely any new business could afford to be there I know I can't

I like shopping but most staff usually yapping take no interest in old day they could not do enough to help you to close a deal we need shops like primark that will bring in other Cumbrian ppl more that come in the more money it generates

I've stopped shopping in all towns/cities, as I'm sick of having to pay to park the car, as there's never any free parking available.
when you get into a shop, they never have anything I want in stock. That's if you can get into the shop for people standing in the doorways smoking or chatting.
if I can't get whatever I need online with free delivery I order it online, then pop into, the normally free parking, out-of-town retail park & pick up what I require.

VIADUCT - 1 shop empty

FINKLE STREET - 1 shop empty

Nationally a roundabouts of 3 per cent of English High Street shops are empty with some 7 in out of town shops. Average for Carlisle?

Total above 217 shops (others not counted) v 40 empty (a few extra not counted) = Carlisle and surrounding shopping malls are still more enjoyable shopping than the web. Self-service counters, or in majority of my purchases... would you like a bag, can I help? Thank You. Meet for Brazillian coffee? Your parcel post arrived yet ? Click n' collect... Sunshine!

No wonder shops in Carlisle are closing,have you ever tried to spend money in them? Most staff don't even acknowledge you as you enter a shop;when you go to a till to pay;they are way,way too busy talking instead of closing a sale or trying a trade-up.

The City is horrible, is it any wonder it's going to the dogs!! Even the dogs will try to give it back.....

Pete, councils do not set rates. If you are going to set the world to rights, try a bit of accuracy.

Council said they're not to blame re Rents but it is also the high City Rates too which surely will have a negative impact too.
Online shopping i don't see it as a threat because still lots of folks want to try things on or see stuff before they buy and there are still people who do not have Computers and there are going to be more poverty stricken folks too,food banks should tell a story here.

Con-servatives always lambasted the ordinary working peoples with high taxation for they are ruthless and greedy,i've yet to really see proof of a truly broke Treasury or HM Bank of England.

Taxes seem to go to creating unnecessary wars in other peopels countries for pure greed of the priveleged few.If all peoples stopped paying it then that would be end of greed of Governments who don't have our best interests at heart at all.

As it seems the empty shops are a result of the Recession and more people shopping online. If there are to be empty shops would it not be possible to ensure either the landlord or the City Council makes a display in the windows. It doesn't help the look of the town Centre when shops have empty widow displays or are boarded up. The tourism in the City will suffer.

i see with davie, we have the silly partisans.

Yes there is blame, national and international, the full consequences of the credit fuelled boom from 2002 to 2008 have still yet to play out.

We all lived on an unsustainable amount of borrowed money, we as individuals did, stoking up house prices, and our governments did also getting us into enormous debts, even in the good times.

it doesnt matter which party takes control, they both need to deal with the head aches.