Days after Docky's Delicatessen took to Facebook to announce their closure, Midsomer Norton residents were unhappy to learn The Green Shop and M&Co followed suit announcing closures of their High Street shops.

Residents of Midsomer Norton have mostly taken to social media to share their sadness of the recent closures, particularly those of Docky's and The Green Shop, two independent and much-loved High Street shops in the town. One resident commented on The Journal's post announcing Docky's closure, saying: "Lovely independent shop. Midsomer Norton regeneration is not doing well."

Questioning the future of Midsomer Norton's High Street, another resident took the time to write in to The Journal, suggesting ways in which the town could look at regenerating, rather than falling behind with continuous shop closures. In a letter, Alun De Pughe, said: 'Save Midsomer Norton High Street, look at surrounding areas...

'Okay people of Midsomer Norton, we need ideas, because until yesterday I didn’t realise how desperate the situation was. Our town maybe growing at a crazy rate but our high street is a breath away from death.

'1) We need to have an emergency meeting regarding both Docky's Delicatessen and The Green Shop closing doors. We don’t have many independent stores left, and for these to both shut highlights extent of our problem. I just noticed M&Co are going too and Nisi look like they’re in trouble.

'2) We have an incredible skate park here. It’s world class. So where are the skate competitions/ festivals? You could have four a year (per season) and combine it with street food/live music to really bring people into town

'3) Outside of an early morning delivery slot (e.g. between midnight and 9am), close the lower part of the high street to motorised traffic so that cafes, bars and restaurants can have tables outside on pavements and pedestrians can walk the road safely with facility for food trucks etc. This system works fine in other towns and cities and could create a sense of energy and life that we simply don’t have. We don’t even have buskers which shows how poor the footfall is. We have fantastic car parking facilities out by the BT building and a road that can just as easily be used instead of going straight through the high street.

'4) Push theatre and dance! We have that amazing area in the Town Park where you’d expect a performance at least once a month in the drier seasons. Create an agreement with groups that am-dram or schools can book slots for free whilst promoting to professionals, encouraging them to come. It doesn’t even need to be exclusive to the Town Park - we have the the Town Hall, the Somer Centre, St John’s and, I suspect many more potential locations. The closer to the high street (and free parking) the better.

5) Live music. Look at how the Cheese & Grain in Frome or The Fleece in Bristol attract world class acts as well as smaller touring and tribute acts. We could do the same. The Town Hall feels like the right size for regular gigs.

6) Cinema. This was fantastic when it was a regular service in the Town Hall. I (a local award winning film director) volunteered to put on a monthly classic film screening (imagine having the chance to see movies like Wiz of Oz, Seven Samurai, E.T. or Star Wars on big screen) which could build to an annual film festival.. My offer is still open.

Midsomer Norton Community Cinema will be returning once the Town Hall redevelopments have finished. The Journal will keep you posted on the up-and-coming events. See below previous events with the cinema, thanks to the Community Trust.

'7) Cycling facilities. Anybody feel comfortable letting their kids ride their bikes on the streets around here? No I didn’t think so. Gordon Mackay has already created a fantastic awareness program for the issues of traffic on Silver Street (i.e. too many cars, too little care by drivers, no facility for children to safely cross the road) but this problem is systematic in Midsomer Norton.

'We have a wonderful greenway cycle path between Silver Street and Radstock but bemusingly no way to get on or off it without carrying your bikes up/ down a flight of steps (not practical for a family with younger children). However, worse is once you’ve cycled to Midsomer Norton, you’re now dicing with death as cyclists must take their chances on the busy roads or endanger pedestrians on the pavements.

'Toilet facilities. We don’t have any.

'And finally, please don’t build any out of town McDonald’s as rumoured. We are losing green space at a ridiculous rate due to house building and we don’t seem to be making up for this by turning streets into avenues (Charlton Road seems such an obvious place for this). However, more to the point is that focus HAS to be on any new facilities being created within walking distance from the high street or this won’t help the high street.'

Would you like to see the implementation of any of Alun's points?

Midsomer Norton Town Council last night (Monday, 6th February) agreed to support Dragonfly Leisure's plans to redevlop the Somer Valley Adventure Play Park at Gullock Tyning with £5,000 funding in the hope it would "be a draw for the high street." See their plans here: