Data reveals that more fish and chip shops than average opened in Gosport during the pandemic

Two sets of data from Ordnance Survey - taken from 2020 and 2022 - provide a snapshot of the UK’s business landscape which show how it was affected two years dominated by shifting pandemic restrictions. The figures looked at retail activity on Rowner Road, Brockhurst Road, Gregson Avenue, Forton Road, Stoke Road, High Street and South Street.

Here's a look at how Gosport’s high streets have changed since March 2020:

The type of business which fared best over the two year period was the fish and chip shop. The town saw an 18.8 per cent in businesses selling one of the country’s favourite dishes which was 12.6 per cent higher than the rest of the South East. Tattoo shops also saw a localised business boom with 12.5% more shops offering tattoos and piercings in March 2022 than March 2020.

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More than twice as many beauty services sprang up compared with the south east’s average - 8.2 per cent in Gosport compared with 3.4 per cent elsewhere in the region. This followed a nationwide trend which saw the industry thrive. At least 5,100 new premises have appeared on our high streets since the start of the pandemic.

The number of supermarkets, public toilets and banks has remained consistent in Gosport since March 2020. In the rest of the country, banks decreased by 8.1 per cent, public toilets by 2.3 and supermarkets increased by 2.5 per cent on average. Overall, Great Britain saw 9,300 retail outlets close between March 2020 and March 2022 with services which could be used online suffering the most. The data showed no significant change in the number of retail shops in Gosport.

Speaking to The News earlier this year, Gosport Borough Council leader Peter Chegwyn said that regenerating the town is the council’s ‘number one priority’.

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Councillor Chegwyn said: ‘The town centre, like all town centres, has been decaying for years. We are looking as a council this year to bring life back into the town, not just the high street but Stoke Road as well.

You can use the BBC’s postcode checker to find out more details about the changing face of high streets near you.