Unregistered User
9 September 2010
17:5969536#1
The article below comes from kent Online:
'Two Kent towns are among the worst in England for the number of vacant shops.
Margate is beaten only by Altrincham in Greater Manchester for medium-sized towns with empty stores.
It was knocked off the top slot, but saw a slight percentage increase to 27.5 per cent of all stores in the town vacant in the first six months of this year.
Dartford came in at number 13, with just over one in five stores unoccupied - a rise of 10 per cent on the six-month period from July to December 2009.
But what is even more shocking is the number of towns in the top 18 in the region for vacancies.
Kent towns take the top six slots out of 18 in the South East region, with two thirds of all towns featuring in that list coming from the county.
The report, by The Local Data Company, shows the continuing impact of the downturn on town centres across the South East.
It also sees Dartford and Gravesend feature highly in the vacancies list for London. Dartford came in third, behind Brixton and Wandsworth, and Gravesend was eighth out of 20.
A Local Data Company spokesman said the Kent statistics bucked the trend.
He added: "Already there is a clear north/south divide apparent in shop vacancies.
"This survey shows the increase in vacancy rates is slowing down."
It revealed the number of empty shops continues to increase in most centres, but the rate of increase is slowing.
Margate had seen the highest vacancy rate among all large and medium-sized shopping centres.'
Thursday, September 09 2010
Are Margate and Dartford significant with Westwood and Blue Water on their doorsteps?
Watty
Guest 703- Registered: 30 Jul 2010
- Posts: 2,096
9 September 2010
18:0269539#2
I saw yesterday that Paynes greengrocers will be closing Saturday, next to to an empty Roseby's and La Senza it looks depressing.
Guest 676- Registered: 1 Jul 2008
- Posts: 521
9 September 2010
18:1769540#3
Ray
A store is due to take over all three shops soon.
Million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
9 September 2010
18:2569542#4
paul
yes a lesson to be learned here, in my opinion as we could be the same if there is further retail development at whitfield.
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
9 September 2010
18:3169544#5
I think the last line of PaulW`s posting makes interesting reading, (and the rest of course), and maybe in the same way, Whitfield`s store`s could be significant with Dover?
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
9 September 2010
18:3969549#6
Stewart...
Can you tell us who the store is.
I know when the original Paynes closed they had advertised the shop as only having a short lease so I was suprised when it reopened.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 703- Registered: 30 Jul 2010
- Posts: 2,096
9 September 2010
18:5569560#7
Stewart, thanks for the info, the situation's not as bad as it seems then so lets hope it's not too long before it's open.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
9 September 2010
19:4469576#8
funnily enough when walking past la senza a few days ago there were people in there.
maybe they were shopfitters surveying what needs to be done, hope so.
Guest 694- Registered: 22 Mar 2010
- Posts: 778
9 September 2010
20:2169581#9
i'm not surprised out high streets are dying, have you seen the rent and rates at present?!
I nearly died of shock when i saw how much the tiny shop in worthington street wants..
not good..
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
9 September 2010
20:2969584#10
Paul W, with so many supermarkets, it is dificult for small shops to remain in business. I think this is the main reason. Added to that the general lack of money that many people experience.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
9 September 2010
20:3169585#11
good point jen, however the business rates are set by central government and are seen as a cosy nest egg.
private landlords charge more than the retailers can afford to pay, taking no account of footfall and the current economic climate.
i see neither taking their heads out of their back passages in the near future and realising it is better to get a lesser amount than they want rather than nothing at all.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
9 September 2010
21:2369591#12
I was discussing this very issue this evening in Blakes with the Chamber Chief exec and another Board member.
Howard - I do not necessarily agree with you about out of town, it very much depends on the nature of the out of town retail development. Town centres and out of town can be complimentary. How I wish DDC did not turn down permission for the outlet centre that ended up in Ashford. That decision was insane and deeply damaging to Dover, including the town centre.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
9 September 2010
21:4269594#13
Completely agree with you on that one Barry .Another case of I told you so .
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
9 September 2010
21:5569598#14
macarthurs glen was before i arrived here, yes i agree that would have been a boon to the town.
i buy most of my clothes from the outlet in ashford, the loss of employment opportunities is staggering.
9 September 2010
21:5669600#15
Absolutely Barry! That's the trouble when the town council is full of the petite-bourgeoisie butchers, bakers and candle-stick makers who are more worried about competition for their emporia rather than the greater good of the district.
Guest 695- Registered: 30 Mar 2010
- Posts: 426
10 September 2010
00:1969626#16
Barry - sorry for butting in on your meeting Thursday evening. I didn't mean to impose.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
10 September 2010
07:4169650#17
With all the financial pressures on people and businesses, the Town Centres need all the help they can get, especially ours.
If the Chamber of Commerce are to be working on supporting the Town and businesses here Barry, then the people they employ as DBS Managers, must be doing exactly that.
They must also gain the respect of the businesses they purport to support and so far, local businesses have seen no evidence of this - not since March anyway.
Roger
10 September 2010
10:2069684#18
In a perfect world town centres an out of town developments should be able to co exist , but we are not , so we should protect are town centres before they die completely .
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
10 September 2010
10:3369694#19
No problems Tony, it was good to see you.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
10 September 2010
10:3569695#20
Bob - It was DDC not DTC who are the planning authority and turned it down. Also it was not the present regime, it was the previous one, the Conservatives supported Macarthur Glenn.