Roads being shut for the races Options

[Andy]

Asda/Morisons could easily have come to Newbury. The old Woolworth would have been ideal, empty units at the retail park or they could have done a new build like Tesco and Waitrose did and Aldi are doing.

They probably wouldn't have wanted to, as we already have Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose, Lidl and soon to be Aldi.

Too much competition

[Torchy]

Tesco have SEVEN outlets in Newbury/Thatcham - the One-Stop stores are owned by Tesco

Morrison's would do very well locally... Can anyone suggest a site?

[JeffG]

Morrison's would do very well locally

Why do you say that? From the adverts I've seen, they don't look much different from Tesco's.

[Bloggo]

The possible reason for this is the extortionate rent that is STILL being charged for shops in the town.

If you want profitable retail businesses in the town then they need to be charged a realistic rent.

I counted 8 empty shops between the Clock Tower and the canal not including those that have been closed because of the Parkway developement.
I'm not sure how many Charity shops we have in Newbury but it is at least 5.
Not a great sign given that only 2 of the new Parkway shops have been taken up one of these by Debenham which will obviously vacate the Kennet centre.

[JMH]

I'm not sure how many Charity shops we have in Newbury but it is at least 5.

I can think of 8!!

[Bloggo]

I can think of 8!!

Good lord. Not a great indicator of demand by retail outlets jousting with each other to be situated in Newbury.
Maybe rents are too high? Something is not quite right with this picture.

[Biker1]

I counted 8 empty shops between the Clock Tower and the canal not including those that have been closed because of the Parkway developement.
I'm not sure how many Charity shops we have in Newbury but it is at least 5.
Not a great sign given that only 2 of the new Parkway shops have been taken up one of these by Debenham which will obviously vacate the Kennet centre.

Take 31 Northbrook Street for example - the blue one next to the O2 shop.

£75,000pa rent and £20,244 rates!

[Bloggo]

Take 31 Northbrook Street for example - the blue one next to the O2 shop.

£75,000pa rent and £20,244 rates!

Does seem a lot but I don't know how this compares with comparable space in Reading or Basingstoke.

[Ron]

Does seem a lot but I don't know how this compares with comparable space in Reading or Basingstoke.

I know of a telecomes company with office in London with good views over the Thames oposite Big Ben. Employ roughly 100 and rent is £100k. Don't know what the rates are though!

[Guest_Newbury Expat_*]

Speaking of telecomms companies, a lot of the change in Newbury could be put down to the highs and lows of Vodafone.

Remembering Newbury when Vodafone spun out of Racal and had every other office building (seemingly) led to something of a boom for our high street and central areas. People were moving into the area and splashing out on houses and people were constantly in the high street over lunch, on breaks and after work which boosted foot traffic and passing trade.

Ever since Vodafone moved out of town, a number of office sites were left vacant and not subsequently filled. Add to that the effect of out of town retail parks and a recession as well as building owners evidently keeping rents high it has created something of a perfect storm.

As I only see the town infrequently now (maybe once a year give or take) the changes are much more apparant than if I had seen them gradually. I note that more shops are vacant and there are more of the cheap and cheerful variety and there generally being less 'buzz' in town on a Saturday.

Having said that Newbury is still a very nice place and one I still love to visit. Walking around the canal and through the park, by the wharf and so on all have a feel of a pleasant smallish town (and the out of town feel is excellent with Donnington castle, Highclere, pubs!, woods, rivers, hills and all the walks and outdoor activities that fit with that type of environment - just honest to goodness, down to earth countryside).

I don't rate the high street as once I did, though the out of town shops are larger and have a decent range (especially up near Tesco). One thing I do miss though is the indoor market where the Hogshead has been for a while - interesting place for a nose, though of course not high end.

Give me Newbury over Basingstoke/Reading/Swindon any day of the week!

[Swanlin]

Dear Forum Friends
I have been reading your views and opinions for a while now and it has taken a one liner to make me want to express my opinion.

It was 'blinkered' Graham's opener of 'I cant believe these idiots have reduced our roads to one way!' that made me want to add my 10p worth. I think he must have visited the racecourse and borrowed a horse blinker?

I live around the corner of the racecourse, they (I understand with police wishes) closed one small road to one way from 3-9ish last Friday, residents had full access within the vacinity and the traffic flowed fine.

The racecourse (Graham's forementioned Idiot's) brings millions of pounds in to the town every year and it has done consistantly for years and will keep doing so. Yes the traffic is a pain but the racecourse was here before me, I decided to move here and you know what... I feel a lot better living in such a town than a town with nothing much going for it.

Other companies, as mentioned by fellow forum friends, came in to the town and is slowly slouching/slouched out of town.

Newbury offers so much more than the average UK town.

Lastly, if anyone attended or read about the Newbury 2025 conference at the corn exchange recently will of learnt Newbury is well above average in shop occupancy in the UK.

Lets love our town and thanks for reading my opinion.

Best wishes

Swan

[Iommi]

The racecourse (Graham's forementioned Idiot's) brings millions of pounds in to the town every year and it has done consistantly for years and will keep doing so. Yes the traffic is a pain but the racecourse was here before me, I decided to move here and you know what... I feel a lot better living in such a town than a town with nothing much going for it.

Frankly, I have no interest in horse racing, so I am prejudiced, but the main effect of the race course seems to be 'peace' artists and louts and on occasion, heavy traffic. I'd rather it weren't here to be honest.

[Guest_NWNREADER_*]

I live around the corner of the racecourse, they (I understand with police wishes) closed one small road to one way from 3-9ish last Friday, residents had full access within the vacinity and the traffic flowed fine.

The racecourse (Graham's forementioned Idiot's) brings millions of pounds in to the town every year and it has done consistantly for years and will keep doing so.

I too live in the vicinity of the racecourse, and have done so for close on 30 years.....

Back in the days when the Osgoods managed the racecourse it was much more a 'Newbury' facility, and very much had community interests to heart. Not so now - the racecourse is a business 100% and makes its money for itself. I have not seen any evidence of millions of pounds (apart from the weight of the racegoers) coming to the town, and in many cases the spin-off from the alcohol etc discounts any benefit. No doubt the Landlord of The Old London apprentice would disagree.....
Also, having worked alongside racecourse management in the past I know any history of huge cash benefit to the town is an overstatement. Bags of goodwill, but not much hard cash.

Do not judge the impact of the recent use of the traffic plan (which overall was probably not needed in the event) as proof of the longer term effect. With the racecourse about to secure many £m for itself by developing the site and inflicting real infrastructure pain on the community I tend to suspect the traffic plan for the area will prove of huge benefit to the racecourse, of great pain to the rest of us.

[JeffG]

I'm with Iommi on this one. I wonder how many Newbury residents have even attended a meeting? To me, they bring a horde of chavs to the town and block the roads with traffic, inconveniencing the locals.

Still, I suppose it's good for the local economy (though reading #53, perhaps not that much).

[dannyboy]

I'm with Iommi on this one. I wonder how many Newbury residents have even attended a meeting? To me, they bring a horde of chavs to the town and block the roads with traffic, inconveniencing the locals.

Still, I suppose it's good for the local economy (though reading #53, perhaps not that much).

Is 'chav' now a term meant to mean anyone you don't like?

[dannyboy]

I too live in the vicinity of the racecourse, and have done so for close on 30 years.....

Back in the days when the Osgoods managed the racecourse it was much more a 'Newbury' facility, and very much had community interests to heart. Not so now - the racecourse is a business 100% and makes its money for itself. I have not seen any evidence of millions of pounds (apart from the weight of the racegoers) coming to the town, and in many cases the spin-off from the alcohol etc discounts any benefit. No doubt the Landlord of The Old London apprentice would disagree.....
Also, having worked alongside racecourse management in the past I know any history of huge cash benefit to the town is an overstatement. Bags of goodwill, but not much hard cash.

Do not judge the impact of the recent use of the traffic plan (which overall was probably not needed in the event) as proof of the longer term effect. With the racecourse about to secure many £m for itself by developing the site and inflicting real infrastructure pain on the community I tend to suspect the traffic plan for the area will prove of huge benefit to the racecourse, of great pain to the rest of us.

Of course the racecourse makes money for itself. It also, as a major draw for the town earns a lot of cash for the restaurants, pubs, hotels & ancillary service trades based in the town.

[Jayjay]

Is 'chav' now a term meant to mean anyone you don't like?

Please someone clarify 'chav'. This week alone it has been used for customers smoking outside a pub, people who wear Primark clothes and now the racing fraternity. Aah racing - maybe HRH is a chav.

[JeffG]

Please someone clarify 'chav'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav

But not necessarily teenagers. As far as racing is concerned, mostly applied to the fraternity that travels up the M4 from the other side of the Severn Estuary. I'm sure there are other, more respectable types.

Aah racing - maybe HRH is a chav.

Which HRH did you have in mind, particularly?

[Jayjay]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav

But not necessarily teenagers. As far as racing is concerned, mostly applied to the fraternity that travels up the M4 from the other side of the Severn Estuary. I'm sure there are other, more respectable types.


Which HRH did you have in mind, particularly?

A chav (pronounced /ˈtʃæv/ (CHAV)) is a stereotypical rough young person in the United Kingdom. The typical "chav"—known also as a charver in Yorkshire and North East England[1]—is said to be an aggressive teenager, sometimes unemployed or of white working class background, who repeatedly engages in anti-social behaviour,[2] such as street drinking, drug abuse and rowdiness, or other forms of juvenile delinquency.

I am even more confused now. I sometimes stand outside the pub with occasional ciggie and gin tonic, while wearing a Primark label. This is often before or after the races. But my teenager years are a mere memory, I have never had the energy, or inclination, to anything terribly anti social and worked all my life. Perhaps I am a wannabe.

[Rosewinelover]

A chav (pronounced /ˈtʃæv/ (CHAV)) is a stereotypical rough young person in the United Kingdom. The typical "chav"—known also as a charver in Yorkshire and North East England[1]—is said to be an aggressive teenager, sometimes unemployed or of white working class background, who repeatedly engages in anti-social behaviour,[2] such as street drinking, drug abuse and rowdiness, or other forms of juvenile delinquency.

I am even more confused now. I sometimes stand outside the pub with occasional ciggie and gin tonic, while wearing a Primark label. This is often before or after the races. But my teenager years are a mere memory, I have never had the energy, or inclination, to anything terribly anti social and worked all my life. Perhaps I am a wannabe.

Can I join? I smoke outside pubs, with me glass of wine, sometimes in Primark gear.... Oh the shame.....