A NEW report claims that less than half of Britons – 49 per cent – are proud of their town centre, but does that ring true in sunny Dorset?

uSwitch.com says that shabby shops, poor choice and high prices are turning them off.

The south west did buck the trend – 57 per cent were proud of their towns, the highest in the country.

There’s no doubt that the recession has hit hard.

Well-known shops, as well as smaller independent businesses, have disappeared, often leaving empty units behind them.

But in Bournemouth and Poole there is plenty going on to improve things, according to those charged with doing just that.

Bournemouth is working on two Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) at the moment – one for the town centre and one for the coast.

Businesses pay an extra levy and in return get to choose how the money is spent.

Bournemouth Chamber of Trade president Nigel Hedges said: “With the BID your business rates can be spent by you and people are seeing the fact with both BIDs working together they will have £750,000 per year to spend on what they want.

“Can you imagine the improvement that’s going to bring? If the town centre retailers feel good about their town centre, the people will pick up on that.”

But Brian Burns, 82, of Bournemouth, said: “The town is overrun with students and is covered in chewing gum.”

His wife Anthea, 68, added: “There are too many cheap shops that only stay open for three months, the quality is just not there any more.”

Victoria Shave, 19, of Wallisdown, said: “The town centre has a good night life and the shops are just alright, they don’t really have any good brands here and the town centre could be a lot cleaner.”

Hanna Syrett, 29, of Southbourne, added: “Overall the town centre’s good, but certain areas are neglected more than others.”

So there’s plenty for chiefs to do.

Graham Richardson, tourism manager at Poole, said: “We do have some issues – like other towns – like vacant premises, which is a sign of the economic times.”

But he said ideas like the market had been well received and street wardens had been introduced to welcome shoppers and help traders.

Roger Parker, Bournemouth town centre manager, said the national picture was “not surprising”.

He added: “Bournemouth is a great example of how the trade and council are working together to further improve our town centre offer.

“The Buisness Improvement District now in development is a good example as such initiatives wouldn’t be achievable without a sense of pride in the town emerging from key stakeholders.”