YOU can sit in front of your computer and order anything online these days from a bulldozer to an eardrum dryer. But you can’t buy is a sense of community.

And that is why we should all be concerned by revelations of the challenges our local shops are facing.

Today Beales department store group, has announced a restructuring to tackle the tough times ahead. And, whatever the trading figures from Marks and Spencer are like when announced today, locally clothing sales are reported to be down.

Add to that the troubles faced by chains like La Senza, Blacks and Hawkin’s Bazaar and you know that our high streets need support.

One in seven high street shops nationally is empty, according to Mary Portas’s report last month.

She recommended nitiatives such as free parking and market days to breathe new life into high streets.

The key question now is what are our local councils planning to do to help?