[Closed] Same place, different viewpoints

This can unfortunately be done in practically any small town at the moment. It's going to take a while for the regeneration to happen.

Not just recently,  the second photo is perfectly feasible for any point in the last 15 years at least.

Not just small towns, seems to be everywhere...

It’s going to take a while for the regeneration to happen.

My home town of Dunstable the boarded up shops have been there for some time, I can't see regeneration happening any time soon.
Charity shops are probably the most numerous type of shop in the town (tho even oxfam closed recently)

Welcome to the High Street in 2021 it’s a shit show and will only get worse.

It’s going to take a while for the regeneration to happen.

It won’t happen.

But did any of the good people of Winchester buy your wares ? Or even take an interest that means they might be back?

That second picture looks like a marked improvement on how Ayr has looked for the past decade if not two. People talk about the "high street" and I barely understand what they are on about, it's an utter anachronism that was ended 30 years ago with the advent of retail parks. Most High Streets are now a collection of charity and pawn shops of varying grades, the anchor tenants are just about wiped out and nobody else can afford the rates. Local authorities love to blame the Internet but they were the ones that allowed the developers to completely ruin the town centres and then price those that were left out of the market. And so here we are...

This can unfortunately be done in practically any small town at the moment. It’s going to take a while for the regeneration to happen.

It’s very noticeable in Bath, but a lot of the problems rest with the council and their obsession with sky-high business rates, working on the premise that Bath is a tourist city, and if a business closes, plenty more will be eager to take their place.
Except that it’s mostly generic chains, and not the interesting small shops that stand out. There are still some, particularly in Walcot Street, but it would be good to think that some wise heads might prevail, and work out that having a smaller amount of money coming in from a successful business is better than nothing from an empty space.

Never mind the pictures......did you make any money or do you need to watch 'only fools and horses' to see how its done.

Bit of a thread drift. But does anyone know if Ulvertson town centre has (pre covid) done as well as it has* due to tourism?

Or at least looks to have to a passing tourist

What about that cyclist in the first picture - did you tell him to get his seat up about 6"?

If a shop is empty do they owners still have to pay business rates?

PiknMix
Full Member

Welcome to the High Street in 2021 it’s a shit show and will only get worse.

Best not to think about your pension fund relying on some of these buildings either

Well for the doomists our small town must be trying to buck the trend as we have had 3 new shops open in the last month and wait for it a local lady has opened a brand new niche type pub on the High Street and it sells proper beer. Unfortunately there's a ton of new house building also going on. Which will obviously house the people to use these new outlets.

Yes , I sold a painting for £200 which seems to have bee the most expensive thing on the market. The rest was mostly clothes, fruit and veg, incense burners etc all priced below £50 so I count it as a success.

Cyclists were the funniest to watch. They varied between experiences who just weaved though the people to the Lock Down Lords who rode directly towards someone, slammed on the brakes, struggled to release from the pedals and then had to set of again. I think this explains the low saddle

If a shop is empty do they owners still have to pay business rates?

Yes. One of the reasons there are so many charity shops. There was at least one charity set up as a business rates wheeze but that's been shut down now.

(Charities get mandatory 80% exemption and may get discretionary relief on the remainder depending on the approach of the LA)

I rode through Winchester early Sunday morning looking for a nice little cafe for a bucket load of pastry and coffee. Could only find a McD’s 🙁

Did think the whole place looked a little run down. Riverside was pretty and well kept though.

Part of the issue is that the exemptions offered to charoty shops, plus the fact that they are often staffed by volunteers and dont have to pay for much of their stock will also drive other similar shops out of business. It is a bit of a vicious circle. Apart from some destination type places, I am not sure what the answer is - I don't think the high street as we know it will exist in many places in 10 years

[i]I rode through Winchester early Sunday morning looking for a nice little cafe for a bucket load of pastry and coffee. Could only find a McD’s 🙁[/i]

Rick Steins place does breakfasts and on the opposite side of the road there is a Patisserie Valarie and on the Saturday there was another cafe open on the same side of the road. Not sure where McD's is so you may have been on a different street

The business rates thing killing small retail business is a red herring.

Any business with a rateable value of <£15k receives 100% relief, on their 1st property.

We have half of a shopping centre in Stirling now empty - the departure of Debenhams and other big names is hurting.

On the other hand, our properly local shops / creative / local produce seems to be doing OK at present.

It won’t happen.

What makes you say that?

My local shopping centre is pretty a grim place. But the one I used to work at (Whiteley, near Fareham) has had a huge regeneration and is always busy. Shops, restaurants, cinema, climbing wall... all bring in the punters. I've seen a proposal from my local council that they are planning something similar. Traffic will be a nightmare. But it's either that or knock it all down and build houses I suppose. But seeing as they've done that with all the greenspace anyway.

Agree with everything SK says, my local council has overseen Ayr town centre dying, Out of town retail park is free to park, one junction off the dual carriageway, and no drug addicts hanging around outside Boots (a different argument for another day).

Oddly, 2 miles along the road, prestwick town centre is booming, no empty shops, pretty much all Indy, and always busy.

It is however, the exception.

Completely off topic but I reckon you’re missing a trick by not selling taxidermy squirrels.

Not just small towns, seems to be everywhere…

Was in Cardiff city centre this afternoon and it was rather obvious that a lot of the 'new' shops being fitted out or just opened in the St David's 2 (the main centre) were just ones that had moved from the parts of the original centre or the high street, leaving holes all over the place. You could quite easily go into there and think everything is fine but in reality the whole shopping area is shrinking and leaving a ring of nothingness around it. Will be interesting to see how long it takes for things to either properly degrade or in what shape regeneration will happen.

* ignores freaky squirrel thing above as much as I can *

High streets will evolve into entertainment zones. Shops will be in the minority with restaurants and experience centres taking over. I saw indoor golf the other day in one. A bunch of golf simulators in a large store and you can have the pleasure of a round without getting wet or even walking. Plus a bar was next door (missed a trick by not calling itself the 19th).

There is a new cycling centric cafe near Winchester.
Think its called the Handlebars and itss south side of town