HIGH STREET NEED RADICAL ACTION…

[leenewham]

…Says report:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25147673

[Eagle]

High Streets would recover if selfish people stopped destroying jobs and high street by buying on line. Simples.

[Tim Lund]

They include:

• Government should designate town and city centres as infrastructure in order to open significant funding opportunities currently not accessible. A High Street Infrastructure platform should be set up to help to deliver this idea
• Bold and strategic land assembly is required. Government should pilot a joint venture vehicle and an associated High Street property fund to pool land assets and address fragmented ownership
• Make it easier for councils to use compulsory purchase powers in order to bring about the scale required for major urban regeneration
• Local authorities should take more risk in investing capital reserves now, which can be replenished as the economy recovers
• Significantly greater flexibility in the planning system is needed to enable quick and easy change of use from redundant retail premises to more economically productive uses

The second and fifth at least you read here first:

The solution for High Streets like Sydenham

We need a national - or maybe better London-wide - commercial freehold reform - in which existing commercial landlords are offered a deal which will leave both them and High Streets such as Sydenham Road better off. The value added would come from consolidating holdings geographically, so that we also had landlords who could invest as do the Grosvenor and Howard de Walden estates.

Planning - What is it good for?

The role of planners, along with private sector landlords, was also under sustained attack at the recent Evening Standard debate on the London property market, by the likes of Janet Street-Porter and the Evening Standard columnist Rosamund Urwin. When the invitation was thrown out for representatives of these groups to respond, a landlord stood up and explained his position very well, but any planners present were taking evasive inaction.

I'm dubious about the first - feels like yet more complexities. The fourth - local authorities taking more risks - up to a point, that point being that many will not have the capacity, so back to my familiar argument about action being needed at higher levels, in London meaning London. But subject to that, yes.

Compulsory purchase reform is also important. I'm told that it ends up with local authorities paying far too much, but finding a way to make it fairer is hardly going to be easy.

[Tim Lund]

High Streets would recover if selfish people stopped destroying jobs and high street by buying on line. Simples.

They would, but they won't.

[leenewham]

High Streets would recover if selfish people stopped destroying jobs and high street by buying on line. Simples.

I Disagree. The world is changing, shops and high streets have to adapt and compete. Some areas manage this, some don't. Its like saying 'my record shop would still be in business if selfish people didn't start buying CD's'. Businesses are not charities. They have to earn your support and love. The sooner they realise that, the sooner the high streets might actually fight back.

[michael]

High Streets would recover if selfish people stopped destroying jobs and high street by buying on line. Simples.

And the solution for pubs is for selfish people to stop discussing things in supposedly local online forums hosted in Amsterdam.
I'll have a pint of Amstel, if you're asking.

[Eagle]

Although not up to Belgium standards they do have some decent ales in Netherlands now. I suggest Amstel is not one of them.

[marymck]

High Streets would recover if selfish people stopped destroying jobs and high street by buying on line. Simples.

And the solution for pubs is for selfish people to stop discussing things in supposedly local online forums hosted in Amsterdam.
I'll have a pint of Amstel, if you're asking.

I don't understand what you mean Michael.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Eagle]

Nor do I Mary just assumed Michael on holiday in the flesh pots of Amsterdam , but of course probably wrong. He may be in Rijksmuseum.

[michael]

There was a time when people would meet in person to discuss some of the problems of the world. Often such discussions would take place in lovely local pubs. Blaming on-line shopping for the death of the high street is fine, up to a point, but does the same not also apply to online discussion forums replacing our much beloved pubs? We should all stop posting on line and go out and have a drink.

Of course the reality of the situation is much shopping can be done online without impacting our local high street. I would prefer to buy stuff online that travel to the high streets around London that have the shops that can't be bothered to open in Sydenham/Forest Hill. I like supporting my local high street, so every time I go to M&S, GAP, or purchase any consumer electronics I end up leaving the local area, and it matters little whether I do that in a car or online.

As for the hosting of the forum in Amsterdam, I applaud the decision by admin to use hosting services in my favourite European city beyond London.

As usual Eagle is probably wrong.

[Eagle]

Sorry Michael. As you say I am usually wrong.But one of the few to admit that.

I cannot agree however about you supporting on line purchasing against supporting local employment and commerce.

I for one am supporting all local shops. Especially our lovely bookshop as opposed to the tax evader and bad employer named after a river.

[marymck]

There was a time when people would meet in person to discuss some of the problems of the world. Often such discussions would take place in lovely local pubs. Blaming on-line shopping for the death of the high street is fine, up to a point, but does the same not also apply to online discussion forums replacing our much beloved pubs? We should all stop posting on line and go out and have a drink.

Oh absolutely! I see what you mean now. Much healthier option. Also people are much more polite face to face than they often are on websites.

[michael]

Sorry Michael. As you say I am usually wrong.But one of the few to admit that.

Actually you rarely admit being wrong. Most of your views are wrong in my opinion and I have failed to change any of your views over the last five years.

I for one am supporting all local shops. Especially our lovely bookshop as opposed to the tax evader and bad employer named after a river.

I like to support local shops. I just don't think of the West End or Bromley as local. The shops I support are in Forest Hill and sometimes in Sydenham.

[Eagle]

Michael

I have often admitted I was incorrect. However lets not have an argument over it.

Shopping in Forest Hill and Sydenham is fine. Unfortunately The Record Forum is closed , I can still here the Helen Shapiro look alike saying 6/8d.

Did you see The Panorama about Amazon UK. It was very surprising.

[leenewham]

There is a record shop in West Norwood Eagle.

They also sell books. And coffee.

They also have events.

It's busy and exciting. The owner lobes what he does, it's his passion. Its called the Book & Record Bar. It does all the layering that our Portas bid talked about.

It also looks and feels great (but I would say that) inside and out. It wouldn't be there without the Norwood Feast. Feast is a brilliant resource for West Norwood.

Somehow we need to make our market work in the same way.

[Maria]

Ahaaa... if only William of Cherry and Ice was reading this! Because of all people he certainly could have a great coffee shop which also sold records, books and held events. It is still possible.... so much has changed around here already (in a relatively short period of time), that too can happen. I am sure. I know ( ). Here's hoping!

[leenewham]

I met with William, he will be in touch.

I also met with the guys at the new Polish/Spanish shops and offered to design their signage for free but haven't heard anything.

I don't think much has changed in Sydenham. I have to admit I mostly go to Forest Hill and rarely shop in Sydenham Road.

[mosy]

Going back to the opening post, like Tim Lund, I immediately thought that this must be an old report, since it was suggesting that huge areas be bought up and put into the sole hands of property developers and freeholders who would of course determine every aspect of fees, rents, can or cannots of leaseholding shops - hardly a new concept being floated.

However, how is that a good thing? Just another form of putting legal (freehold) ownership wholly into hands of wealthy investors or a conglomerate who have no interest in local affairs at all, only with profit and from a distance at that. Bearing in mind it's a report by a property firm, well they would say that wouldn't they? Following the money, it's always "What's in it for me?" Many £s for consultants to government (typically laughable amounts of taxpayer's money), potential developers, eventual landlords. (I think that's what Michael said first off incidentally, so me just an echo.)

I think the report/analysis (uni?) that Tim Lund linked to a while back was much more interesting including how infrastructure links like transport did or didn't improve areas. That thread got sidetracked from his opening post before I got chance to reply, so don't ask me to find it.

[FromCtoShiningC]

The High Street in Sydenham is rather handsome when looking ABOVE the shop fronts. Apart from the odd bit of WW2 bomb damage, it's superior to most other high streets in London when it comes to continuous (and largely harmonious) architecture. It's a shame that the shops themselves aren't so eloquent

[sugahill cafe]

Treble Clef opened in 1973. I acquired the business, then called The Record Forum, from a Mr Chapman who wanted to retire. The shop was managed, variously over time, by my wife, Helen, my son James and my brother Roger.
I had worked for WH Smith for several years in their record departments, rising to Head Office staff working with the wonderful Joanna Smith. By 1973 I was working for Polydor Records so only worked on Saturdays at the shop. Helen had also previously worked for WH Smiths record department - we met at the Bromley shop - and she later went on to open and run the first HMV shop in Bromley [situated in The Mall] before we opened Treble Clef.
We enjoyed many years of success as Treble Clef but later changed the name to 'Sound Store' - see other entry. Apart from feeling that we needed a more 'modern' name it also reflected the difficulty that customers had in spelling and writing out cheques to Treble Clef!
We had a good reputation, I believe - switched on and knowledgeable staff - we were also a Chart Shop. Although this was meant to be 'secret' it brought some advantages.
Unfortunately the shop closed in 1996; savage price cutting by the entry of the Supermarkets made it hard to compete for small independents - plus the big new Sainsbury's Hypermarket opened at the bottom of Sydenham High Road taking away much of the High Street footfall. Coupled with this, the local council introduced yellow lines along the High Street and side roads inhibiting the quick passing trade that would often stop briefly. Getting a ticket made it an expensive stop!.
Nevertheless, it was a wonderful 23 years and my family and I enjoyed meeting some delightful people in Sydenham.
http://www.britishrecordshoparchive.org ... cords.html