FOLLOWING on from the recent debate about independent restaurants in Southampton being killed off by the new Westquay extension, I wouldn’t have said so, although more needs to be done.

READ: Food Fight - Is Westquay's food and drink extension killing Southampton's independent venues? >>>

While I agree that no good restaurant, chain or independent, will be put out of business by the new Westquay development, I believe something else needs to be done to increase tourism and visitor numbers to the city.

When you see that the new Odeon cinema that’s just opened in Bournemouth has 4K, Dolby Atmos and reclining seats, the same as the new Showcase Cinema de Lux in Southampton, you begin to wonder how much Southampton really does stand out from the rest, if indeed at all.

We need something unique and a wow factor. How about building that Spitfire statue? And, oh, how we could do with an indoor arena!

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