I want quirky shops, not identikit High Streets
THe battle between Mary Portas and Bill Grimsey (former boss of Wickes and iceland) over who has the masterplan to save our High Streets has got personal.
Now, Sir Stuart Rose, the ex-boss of Marks & Spencer, has offered his five bob’s worth in a BBC2 series about shopping, which starts this evening. Rose says the old High Street, with retailing at it’s heart, is over.
i agree — i’ve been banging on about placing housing for the old and young at the centre of cities for years. And advocating turning offices and unused shops into community spaces. Parking has to be free and business rates slashed — which is where the Government has let Mary down with its inaction.
Margate, the Kent town where she tried to breathe life into a drab High Street, is starting to hum again — but it’s the old town with its quirky small shops and characterful narrow streets that visitors want to spend time in.
Last Saturday, i bought excellent vintage shirts and a sweater there, as well as a pair of office lamps and a great Sixties light fitting. Lunch in the cafe on the harbour wall was fabulous, and the museum shop was having a sale.
All these signs of life could be undermined if Tesco is allowed to open a store right on the seafront. There are superstores all around the town in retail parks already. Sherborne in Dorset has successfully repelled Tesco, after a petition which attracted 11,000 signatures. Tesco says it listens to communities — well, if it applies this to Margate, it will leave the seafront alone.