UK's High Streets in crisis? Under threat? What to do to save 'em? Value 'em? Prefer outa town malls? Or 'Net?

Question

..

Britain's High Streets Reach 'Crisis Point'
By David Crabtree, Midlands correspondent | Sky News – 21 hours ago.. .

Britain's High Streets Reach 'Crisis Point'

More than 50% of total consumer spend is now off British high streets for the first time in history.

The shock statistic is revealed with the publication of a report compiled by Mary Portas, star of the BBC's Mary Queen of Shops programme.

The retail expert has come up with a plan to rejuvenate Britain's ailing high streets, some of which she claims are in crisis.

Her independent review, carried out at the request of Prime Minister David Cameron, also maintains that town centre vacancy rates have doubled over the past two years.

"I believe that our high streets have reached a crisis point. Unless urgent action is taken, much of Britain will lose, irretrievably, something that is fundamental to our society, and which has real social and economic worth to our communities," she said.

"I would like to state from the start that this report is not about pointing fingers of blame.

"While I do believe that there are many compelling instances where out-of-town retail has drained the traffic and shopping trade from our town centres, it would be naive and far too easy simply to think that they are to blame for the decline of our high streets.


"The fact is that the major supermarkets and malls have delivered highly convenient, needs-based retailing, which serves today's consumers well.

"Sadly, the high streets didn't adapt as quickly or as effectively. Now they need to."

Ms Portas has called for change and recommends licensing rules on high street stalls be relaxed and that a national market day be introduced.

She also wants free parking in certain areas, some form of high street management system to form coherent policies, as well as a review of business rates and shop rents.

Answer 1

Peptroy can't see 6 questions to choose from ???



If I were a gambler, I'd bet there'll be more looting for Christmas





I'm lucky in having an Asda @ 5 mins walk away, an Aldi @ 10 mins away & a Lidl @ 15 mins away



All built after I moved here



The Strand, with many supermarkets & stores, on 2 floors, is @ 12 mins walk away

Answer 2

It was just over 20 years ago when my former wife applied for a community award for the playgroup she founded. Another prizewinner was a video produced by the shopkeepers of Kington, a small market town on the Welsh border - a fasinating and impressive display of the range of businesses that were then flourishing on its High Street.



A year after the video was made, more than half of those businesses had closed down for the same reason. This was the year the National Business Rate was introduced, which transferred money and control from the local authorities to national Government lobbied by big business. Extra statutory responsibilities were heaped onto local authorities that had been done by national Government, grants were cut, so the Council Tax went up and up, forcing local businesses to pay more in order to pay the regressive Council Tax. Meanwhile Income Tax was cut for the well-off.



This was started under Thatcher, consolidated under Major, and Blair and Brown did nothing to change this state of affairs. Under Cameron, local business is being made to pay for the gross criminality of unregulated big business that ia bankrupting the world.



So before we can go anywhere with resurrecting the High Street, we need to put up Income Tax, bring business rates under the control of local authorities, and make the average for both these and Council Tax half what they currently are.



Next thing is to enable local authorities to have free parking in the town centres once again, so shoppers can drive in, park, do a bit of shopping and go home. At the moment, it is the malls that have free parking while visitors to town centres are caned.



Next thing is to play on the strength of the town centres - having a university of enterprise within walking distance. It should be a pleasure to walk around and there should be a comprehensive set of goods and services available to hand. It should be a pleasure to be there in the day, and a pleasure too to live there at night, rather than a hell-hole of antisocial behaviour or morbid senility.



Money should flow in these places, and it is the job of the High Street bank to make it so, rather than to act purely as a sales outlet for some distant corporation which has no interest in the town, other than a predatory one.



The internet should be harnessed, rather than allowed to rob these places of business. The whole point of the High Street is convenience and no delivery charges or waiting. John Lewis already have an internet ordering system whereby there are no handling charges if you are willing to go to the nearest Waitrose to pick up your order as soon as it's arrived there from their warehouse. Why can't the independents do the same, in a logistics co-operative that allows a stack of items to be picked up and delivered to a post office box in the High Street for collection by the business, or delivered with the mail? Or maybe they could do a deal with Waitrose whereby items can be seen in the shops, bought there and then if they are in stock, or delivered to Waitrose if they aren't? The independent shop gains the customer, and Waitrose gains the subsequent footfall. Everybody wins.



It is long time the market politicians realised the full value of a lot of people doing productive work, rather than wasting away in redundant uselessness. It may be superficially more efficient to lay off the staff, centralise everything, and have everything run by a corporate cartel, but factor in the social costs and the loss of well-being of very many people, and the pendulum must swing hard the other way.

Answer 3

The truth is... the traditional British 'High Street' has been under threat for 20 years or more. All of the things this report points towards are a part of the problem. High streets have become the territory of charity shops, building societies and small, brave local businesses that do well to stay open for more than a few months.



Even the big stores that used to sustain the environment like Woolworths (now gone to the wall), Marks and Spencer and Boots are retreating to the shopping centres out of town to survive.



I live in Gillingham, Kent... and have done so since 1996. In the 15 years I have lived here, I have been to my local high street about 10 times in total. It's dirty, full of yobs, expensive to park in... and has no shops of any interest anyway.



In the 1980's, I travelled extensively in Eastern Europe as part of my job. I saw many towns and cities in those days that held markets to support the local shops which had little in the way of stock, and most of it was of poor quality. I frequently saw queues of people trying to buy pickles!

The markets were full of cheap clothing, children's toys and cakes and sweets produced in factories of dubious standards.



Everywhere, people bought either fake goods, or pale imitations of foreign products. Beautiful 20 year old Bulgarian girls wearing Mickey Mouse T-Shirts because they thought anything American was classy! The most successful local entrepreneurs drove 10 year old BMW's... and wore 1970's fashions.



Britain in 2011 reminds me of that time more and more. Politicians both local and national have a lot to answer for... yet the mass keep voting for them, and believing the lies that stream out of their mouths.



God alone knows why.

Answer 4

Where I live the only town centre shops that do good business are Poundland & 99p shops, these are big business and the idea that people would want to go back to the way we used to shop and pay more just because they are local businesses is fairy land, like most be I want value for money in this day and age.

Answer 5

You need free parking, why would anyone want to vist these so called Town Centres and pay for the privilege?

The Town Centres now are full of Chavs, and Pickpockets, and you can't walk far down our High Streets without hearing swearing from groups of youths.

Answer 6

My perspectives has consistently been stay and enable stay yet all this talk approximately Islam and different religions are inflicting human beings to hate one yet another i think and that's merely my opinion that English human beings are no further allowed to declare what they experience its classed as raciest yet whilst i boost into Muslim or a faith like this i'm allowed to declare what ever i want we at the instant are not allowed to purchase a bible as a Muslim re fussed to serve the guy are you able to think of the uproar if it we refused to sell the Koran as we've been yet another faith it is going to artwork the two procedures i'm so bored stiff of been a 2nd classification citizen i dont be attentive to approximately each and every physique else what share church homes have been equipped in assessment to Mosques and easily to point i'm not a christian,Buddhist,Muslim..i merely think of faith is inflicting such countless issues and it has to offer up....worry is Paul B you're saying they is way less danger of attack if we are all blended up with Muslims yet they blow one yet another up besides even th babies and handicapped so as that they wont subject approximately blowing up us Brits its like a cult they're all brainwashed....I labored for a at the same time as doing my acquaintances transport around had to hold very heavey bins of eggs to shops and different buisnesses hated going out to maximum those peopel they only watched me conflict and grined then argued over the cost even nevertheless they knew the cost till now i droped then i finished up having to take them decrease back ....They theory i might take much less money so i wouldnt might desire to take them decrease back....My ingredient is are you able to think of our adult males treating there women like that it does not take place additionally are you able to think of the outcry...distinctive standards returned.

Answer 7

and the question is?