A TOWN councillor has backed calls from Oak Mall traders for action on parking and facilities and says she wants the local authority to play an active role in the centre.

Labour's Francesca Brennan told the Tele she wants to help support independent retailers in the town centre after they issued a plea for investment.

The Tele recently reported how long serving American Candy shop owner Tony Alam, a well as Lock N Sole owner Sammy Cushnaghan and music store owner James Haggart had all reported brisk trade over the festive period, but highlighted the need for improved access, toilet facilities and a food court to keep shoppers coming back.

Councillor Brennan says she agrees and hopes the area's bid for £20m in levelling up funding from the government can act as a kickstart for the traditional high street.

She said: "We need to accept that there is a real lack of facilities in Greenock town centre.

"It is something we really need to look at urgently.

"We are listening to the retailers, because they know what they need.

"There are important issues that need to be addressed and challenges that need to be faced.

"But I am also heartened by the positives from the traders.

"People want their town centre to be better, it brings back nostalgia for them, everyone who lives here remembers a successful town centre in some way."

The council is currently waiting to hear if its bid to the UK Government to transform the town centre will be granted.

As well as tearing down the eastern half of the Oak Mall, there are plans for new housing, space for a college campus, removal of the A78 flyover and knitting the town centre together again.

Ms Brennan added: "There are so many ways we can make it better.

"We want to look at community ownership and make sure the council has more powers and more control over the Oak Mall.

"We need to look at ways to make taxation fairer, so that our retailers in our towns are not penalised compared with those who sell on the internet.

"We want to fill up our shop units."