Empty Units vs Food Outlet vs Retail, What do people really want? Options

[ebalch]

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/2013/mixed-v...-a-cafe-society

Interesting to read the views of some council members objecting to the change of use of our high street spaces. I'm all in favour of allowing the public decide, in the words of David Allen "if it’s a success it stays, if it’s not, it goes."

I'm surprised at the objections to this from Adrian Edwards and his comments of "If we carry on this way, there will be very little retail left". On what grounds would people seriously object to more use being made of the available space?

I personally don't use the cafes in town but I'm much rather see a busy town centre than an empty one, regardless of the use of space.

[Darren]

When is a retail store not a retail store?

Apparently when it sells food.

David Allen's comments are actually quite heartening. A politician with a bit of sense.

[Claude]

“I know it’s another food outlet, but it’s the people’s choice – if it’s a success it stays, if it’s not, it goes.”

I am happy with this approach.

[gel]

“I know it’s another food outlet, but it’s the people’s choice – if it’s a success it stays, if it’s not, it goes.”

I am happy with this approach.

........and if a success, I'm sure Morrisons HO will be looking for a location for a full size store.
Quite a few B&Q stores have had 50% sub let to Morrisons because they now deem many
of their stores too big for current DIY market.
http://www.diyweek.net/news/news.asp?id=16...ver+store+share

Guess Tesco wouldn't be too keen!

[GhostMemory]

“I know it’s another food outlet, but it’s the people’s choice – if it’s a success it stays, if it’s not, it goes.”

I am happy with this approach.

[user23]

With the growth of internet shopping, I'm not sure if we might have seen the last of the new out of town food superstores round here.

[Simon Kirby]

THE age-old shops versus cafés debate in Newbury reared its head again on Monday evening as members of the town council’s planning committee tried to decide on the right mix for the town centre.

Actually, no. The Town Council doesn't decide planning matters, that's a job for the West Berkshire Council. WBC has a duty to ask the Town Council, but it doesn't have to pay any attention to what it says. It's absurd that a restaurant has to apply to WBC for planning permission to operate in town centre premises - a consequence of the micro-management of commercial planning use classes. There is very little point to the Town Council generally, and their planning committee is one of the least useful of their pointless functions. The public interest would be best served by relaxing the differentiation between so many similar use classes so that opening a shop wasn't burdened with so much red tape.

[Andy Capp]

With the growth of internet shopping I'm not sure if we might have seen the last of the new out of town food superstores round here.

I've tried, but this sentence has me beat!

[blackdog]

Seems odd for a Tory (Edwards) to speak out for more council control while a Lib-Dem (Allen) says 'leave it to the market.'

[On the edge]

Seems odd for a Tory (Edwards) to speak out for more council control while a Lib-Dem (Allen) says 'leave it to the market.'

Err, isn't that their party position?

The Liberal Party are traditionally the party of small government, Cobden, Bright, Gladstone etc. Diluted by the Champagne Socialists yes, but that's what Liberalism is all about.

The Tories on the other hand are the party for keeping things as they are. Maintaining the aristocracy and their right to rule. In other words, big government because we 'the peasantry' need to be told what to do by our betters. Know your place could well be their motto.

Perhaps its time the Parties were better at explaining their objectives!

[Andy Capp]

Err, isn't that their party position?

The Liberal Party are traditionally the party of small government, Cobden, Bright, Gladstone etc. Diluted by the Champagne Socialists yes, but that's what Liberalism is all about.

The Tories on the other hand are the party for keeping things as they are. Maintaining the aristocracy and their right to rule. In other words, big government because we 'the peasantry' need to be told what to do by our betters. Know your place could well be their motto.

Perhaps its time the Parties were better at explaining their objectives!

That's right, although the working man felt disenfranchised enough at the begging of the last century to form a new party that took the Liberals place in politics. It now seems the country is run by those with privately owned homes at the expense of those without.

[dannyboy]

anyway, back on topic - I see another [ insert adjective & noun of choice ] is going to attempt to make a go of Gordon's/Monty's/Spin......

[On the edge]

anyway, back on topic - I see another [ insert adjective & noun of choice ] is going to attempt to make a go of Gordon's/Monty's/Spin......

Oh dear, we've gone beyond your attention span again!

[dannyboy]

Oh dear, we've gone beyond your attention span again!

You have.

rattling on about how the Tories have done this, the Lib Dems That, the Marxists this does make me want......what was that again?

[Ruwan Uduwerage-...]

Perhaps its time the Parties were better at explaining their objectives!

Simply put at a local level we wish Newbury Town Centre to flourish. We wish to see more people using the Town Centre, whether it be the retail outlets, restaurants, cafes or the night time industry, but to do this we feel that people need to be able to park their vehicles easily and not at huge expense for otherwise they will simply go elsewhere.

The current Tory 'On Street Parking' proposals will potentially have an extremely negative impact on the economy of our town. At a recent Town Council meeting of the Planning and Highways Committee, when this was highlighted by Cllr Julian Swift-Hook the Tory members could not even bring themselves to disagree with this. In fact there was a clear indication on many a face that they supported this viewpoint.

It must be remembered that those Tories leading the District Council are not even residents of its largest town, and hence are not fully aware of the consequences of their actions, whereas the Town Council Conservative Councillors all live in Newbury and should know better.

Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera

Victoria Ward - Councillor (Liberal Democrat)

[Andy Capp]

Regardless of the veracity of your argument, I appreciate you do something no councillor has done for a long time, and that is personally engage with debates on this forum. Many thanks for your posts.

[dannyboy]

Simply put at a local level we wish Newbury Town Centre to flourish. We wish to see more people using the Town Centre, whether it be the retail outlets, restaurants, cafes or the night time industry, but to do this we feel that people need to be able to park their vehicles easily and not at huge expense for otherwise they will simply go elsewhere.

The current Tory 'On Street Parking' proposals will potentially have an extremely negative impact on the economy of our town. At a recent Town Council meeting of the Planning and Highways Committee, when this was highlighted by Cllr Julian Swift-Hook the Tory members could not even bring themselves to disagree with this. In fact there was a clear indication on many a face that they supported this viewpoint.

It must be remembered that those Tories leading the District Council are not even residents of its largest town, and hence are not fully aware of the consequences of their actions, whereas the Town Council Conservative Councillors all live in Newbury and should know better.

Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera

Victoria Ward - Councillor (Liberal Democrat)

maybe the BID could subsidise parking in some way. After all, the BID members are the ones who will benefit most.

btw - I second Andy Capp's comment above.

[Exhausted]

Ruwan, your post might just go to show how much disdain the District (WBC) has for the thoughts of the Town Council. What to my mind is the root problem of Town Council thinking and to some extent WBC thinking is this ridiculous link to Westminster politics. There is little individual thought, mostly councillors just toe the party line and that, as I see it, is not the way it should happen. You are complicit to the nonsense in that you sign off with (Councillor-Liberal Democrat). Does that make you and the rest of the council more important or is it a sign to the peasants, like me, that I also have to toe the party line. Victoria Ward Councillor would have said what you are and the assumption might also be that you were adding your personal stamp to the discussion rather than reiterating the Lib Dem line.

[On the edge]

Simply put at a local level we wish Newbury Town Centre to flourish. We wish to see more people using the Town Centre, whether it be the retail outlets, restaurants, cafes or the night time industry, but to do this we feel that people need to be able to park their vehicles easily and not at huge expense for otherwise they will simply go elsewhere.

The current Tory 'On Street Parking' proposals will potentially have an extremely negative impact on the economy of our town. At a recent Town Council meeting of the Planning and Highways Committee, when this was highlighted by Cllr Julian Swift-Hook the Tory members could not even bring themselves to disagree with this. In fact there was a clear indication on many a face that they supported this viewpoint.

It must be remembered that those Tories leading the District Council are not even residents of its largest town, and hence are not fully aware of the consequences of their actions, whereas the Town Council Conservative Councillors all live in Newbury and should know better.

Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera

Victoria Ward - Councillor (Liberal Democrat)

That's fine. However, there are some who would argue that the present parking proposals will do quite the reverse and will actually encourage even more passing trade. Presently 'on street' parking is a lock out fore most casual users, the space being taken by those who want to stay for longer periods. Some real investigatory work would be in order; just to find out. Fore instance, a quick straw poll of the people I work with says all of them use town centre car parks for visits to the town centre and that fees are reasonable; save in the evening. In fact there is a body of resentment about 'freeloader' parking and in one case an individual who rages against the 'dangerous elderly idiots' who park along Northbrook Street first thing! Its not a political issue; although the way its been opposed locally has made it seem simply the usual yah boo politics. I'd also suggest you might be on very dangerous ground to suggest lead councillors don't live in the town and should therefore know better/ If the Councillors are really going to represent their constituents would it not be best if they actually lived in the same ward?

[Andy Capp]

You don't need to live in a ward to know whether the town works for you. As for on street parking, even though it is relatively free, it is still restricted to time and how long it is until you can return. Maybe on-street parking charges will not encourage faster turnover, unless they make the first part of the parking free? People might feel compelled to get their 'monies worth' when they park, and stay longer.