Support my local high street/shopping area, why?

[Bargepole23 337]

20 hours ago, ivan edake said:

For the past few weeks every time I have watched TV adverts there has been a group of people singing "support your local High Street". The Yorkshire weatherman has advised me to do the same,as has all of the National Newspapers.Why should I bother  when councils all over the country have done their best to deter me from doing this? No matter where you go there are never enough parking spaces.If you can find one you will be charged an obscene fee ,and woe betide you if you are back a few minutes late,you will collect a parking ticket,usually from an obnoxious jobsworthy, but it can be via the post, and it will cost you around a ton. Councils have bled motorists dry and are now reaping what they have sown.Sensible people have given up on town centre shopping and it will take a lot more than a few songs or adverts to bring it back.

How exactly have councils bled motorists dry? I can park in Sharrowvale for free for 20 minutes, or 70p for an hour. Do you think that's being bled dry?

 

Very rarely is it not possible to park very near a host of local, independent, shops.

 

Alternatively, I can cycle there just as easily.

 

Infinitely preferable to a trip to Meadowhall. Of course, not all that can be bought at Meadowhall or Tesco can be bought at an independent shop, but many things can and are generally much nicer. For example, at Sharrowvale Rd I can buy great fish and seafood, bread, meat, vegetables, cheese etc, as well as a newspaper.

Edited December 27, 2018 by Bargepole23

[Janus 28]

I feel that the local authority is a key problem on several levels. Why not free parking to encourage spending. 

 

I acknowledge the valid point that  the OP makes about parking, and I would say it is not conducive to a thriving local high street.

 

Making the buiness rates at retail parks cheaper than the high streets drives large retailer out of the town.

 

There are plans to address high  busines rates. A lot of damage has been. It is a lot easier to  "shut up shop" than to start up a new venture.

 

Is there really a big incentive for local traders when local councils are treating them in this way.

Edited December 27, 2018 by Janus

[Becky B 31]

It depends what I'm buying, and what else I'm doing.  For food shopping, supermarkets are open at more convenient times for me, and it takes less time to shop as it's all in one place (that said, I don't tend to buy meat from the supermarket).

 

For other shopping, some things I need to buy are quite specialist, and I can't get them in Sheffield, never mind a local high street...

[andyofborg 11]

58 minutes ago, Janus said:

I feel that the local authority is a key problem on several levels. Why not free parking to encourage spending. 

 

I acknowledge the valid point that  the OP makes about parking, and I would say it is not conducive to a thriving local high street.

 

Making the buiness rates at retail parks cheaper than the high streets drives large retailer out of the town.

 

There are plans to address high  busines rates. A lot of damage has been. It is a lot easier to  "shut up shop" than to start up a new venture.

 

Is there really a big incentive for local traders when local councils are treating them in this way.

business rates are the governments fault, local authorities might collect them but the rate and everything else is set by central government. it's only recently that the government started to allow councils to keep a portion of what they collect and that doesn't help the poorer councils since they benefited from the previous system which gave them some of the rates collected by richer councils.

 

free parking is a bit of a red herring. i work in leeds and that's jammed with people all willing to pay fairly high parking charges. it's only people in sheffield who want everything and more for nothing where it seems to be an issue. i doubt it would make much difference.

 

also, car parks need to be maintained, so if the user doesn't contribute then the whole cost falls on the general council tax payer and takes money from other budgets.

[tinfoilhat 11]

1 hour ago, Becky B said:

 

 

For other shopping, some things I need to buy are quite specialist

😉 😉 😉 😉 😉

Edited December 27, 2018 by tinfoilhat

[apelike 10]

3 hours ago, Anna B said:

Don't you think it is a National interest issue? This isn't just the odd high street, but most high streets that are struggling, and they employ many thousands of people nationwide.

But its something that has been going on for as long as we have had computers and the internet. Remember we were told that this would benefit us all and we would have plenty of leisure time. Trouble is we were never really told that would be because we would be unemployed. I think the first indication of this in the high street was when staff were replaced in banks. 

3 hours ago, Anna B said:

The elderly, for example, may need extra help, what's going to be done with the empty premises, and councils will suffer from the shortfall in business rates.

The elderly already get help with shopping and the new elderly that will replace them in the future will cope. There is a shortage of housing at the moment so the empty premises I am sure will be put to good use as we are already seeing in Sheffield.

[Dozer 13]

I'm someone who tends to like to shop online, but I'll gladly pay extra for the privilege of shopping locally.  Most days, we walk an extra 5 mins to go to our cramped local newsagent because they give a smile with our paper. Our local cafes manage a joke even when they are backed up with lunchtime rush. The local bakery gives good advice. Our closest shop remembers a few of our favorites and will explain why they are out if they are out. Our independent laundry is very fair with give and take; sometimes if we have an emergency they'll do us same-day service. Sometimes when they are shortstaffed, they'll ask for a few extra days.

 

It helps that we don't mind walking because the parking around here sucks.

 

I don't know if there are many like us, but if you want our business, here's all you need to do:

• Have reasonable, predictable hours, including a bit of time before or after work.
• Be clean, or at least not filthy.
• Acknowledge your customers if it's a long wait -- we know you get busy sometimes, but it's nice to know you recognise it's not always convenient.
• If we come into your shop every week for years, remember something about us, or at least spare us a smile. We'll do the same for you.

Basically, let's treat each other well.

[Janus 28]

1 hour ago, andyofborg said:

 

also, car parks need to be maintained, so if the user doesn't contribute then the whole cost falls on the general council tax payer and takes money from other budgets.

In Rotherham's Forge Island car park I see 2 guys checking tickets. That would be one  instant cost saver on their wages that would contribute to the upkeep of a car park-if it was even required.

 

I cannot imagine a great deal of costs incurred to upkeep an area of concrete for example. 

Edited December 27, 2018 by Janus

[El Cid 220]

Global property investment advisers BNP Paribas Real Estate say UK councils have spent £324.6m on shopping malls in the first half of this year alone - more than the previous highest annual figure for the whole of 2016.

A BBC report said the amount spent by local councils is now over £800 million!! 

 

   https://www.localgov.co.uk/Exclusive-Councils-investing-record-amounts-in-shopping-centres/45868

 

Not sure if these are out of town shopping centers, but it seems bizarre to me.

[Anna B 1,414]

On 12/27/2018 at 7:53 PM, apelike said:

But its something that has been going on for as long as we have had computers and the internet. Remember we were told that this would benefit us all and we would have plenty of leisure time. Trouble is we were never really told that would be because we would be unemployed. I think the first indication of this in the high street was when staff were replaced in banks. 

The elderly already get help with shopping and the new elderly that will replace them in the future will cope. There is a shortage of housing at the moment so the empty premises I am sure will be put to good use as we are already seeing in Sheffield.

What help do you think the elderly get with their shopping? There isn't even a chair to sit on in most shops. As for new elderly being able to cope, I assume you think that's because they will know how to use computers and aps etc.

Unfortunately, as we get older people's capacity to learn and remember diminishes, and things change at such a pace it will always be necessary to learn new systems.  And I believe there's a crisis just round the corner as OAPs start forgetting their pin numbers, passwords and how to use various things.

[apelike 10]

55 minutes ago, Anna B said:

What help do you think the elderly get with their shopping?

I suppose it boils down as what you call elderly. Most of the elderly (over 80) I actually know dont actually do any shopping themselves and have others to do it for them as many of them have, like me, mobility problems and some have home helps. A few I know do and one in particular still drives and does his shopping and he is 84.

Edited December 29, 2018 by apelike

[andyofborg 11]

On 12/27/2018 at 10:19 PM, El Cid said:

Global property investment advisers BNP Paribas Real Estate say UK councils have spent £324.6m on shopping malls in the first half of this year alone - more than the previous highest annual figure for the whole of 2016.

A BBC report said the amount spent by local councils is now over £800 million!! 

 

   https://www.localgov.co.uk/Exclusive-Councils-investing-record-amounts-in-shopping-centres/45868

 

Not sure if these are out of town shopping centers, but it seems bizarre to me.

some may be longer term investments with a view to raising income but my understanding is that most are in town or other local centres and the councils are using them as a centre points in regeneration plans.