Efforts to try and save a town centre in Epping Forest were making our headlines ten years ago this week.

Shoppers are being asked to help save a town centre by pushing for more shops to move in.

The Waltham Abbey Residents Association will canvass residents on what shops they want to see open in the town in a bid to encourage the companies to move in.

The chairwoman of the association, Sue Calvert, 41, said: “I want to try and get some brands in so residents are given more of a choice.”

Several shops in Sun Street are empty and two more have shut down in recent months.

Mrs Calvert said she hoped to bring in big clothing chains rather than supermarkets or other shops that would compete with the area’s surviving traders.

“If we can have a survey, we can approach the brands and say we’ve done an independent survey and there’s a desire for your shop in the town centre.

“Collectively with the residents, this should give us more of a voice and make what we’re saying stronger.”

The residents’ association will question residents in a survey at the town’s Saturday markets on April 2 and 9 from 8am to 3pm.

Mrs Calvert said her group also wanted to see regulations in the car park next to Sun Street to stop people working in the town centre from parking there all day, freeing up space for shoppers.

“Businesses and stall holders are using the parking spaces, which should be freed up,” she added. “It would not be unreasonable for them to park behind the town hall instead, as those spaces are at the same rate.”

Traders in Sun Street are pushing for more to be done to stop shops closing and formed a group in February to get ideas on how to bring more people into the town centre.

Florist Chris Fordham said it was a good idea to ask big brands to come to the town.

“As long as they don’t compete with the shops already here, it could be good,” he added. “I think we need a really good delicatessen down here.

“Something needs to happen, as there are still no customers down here. ”