Little ‘love’ lost as Camden shops face closure

Published: 11 March 2010
by JOSIE HINTON

IT promised to be a “hands on” campaign that would inspire a revival in Camden’s struggling economy, encouraging shoppers to support their nearest independent stores.

But eight months after the launch of the council’s “Love Your High Street” initiative, several traders have nothing but scorn for the expensive branding and are calling for more to be done than simply draping posters from lampposts.

They say that far from helping them through the recession, the Town Hall has added to their woes with rising rents and  parking regulations which only the big chain stores can cope with.

Two businesses in Kentish Town, which between them have been trading in the high street for more than 100 years, have this week announced they are closing their doors.

Peter Bloom, who has run Bradley’s Curtain and Linen Centre in Kentish Town Road for 42 years, said he will not stay after his current lease runs out in June – after being hit with a £300 rent rise by his council landlords.

And Ace Sports owner Nick Mavrides – who celebrated the shop’s 60th anniversary last year – said he is also being forced to move to smaller premises in Fortess Road.

Mr Mavrides, who is the chairman of the Kentish Town Business Alliance, said: “It’s all very well saying ‘love your local high street’, but you don’t need to tell people to love their high street if they’ve got a good high street. Instead of putting these signs everywhere the council needs to be taking more responsibility for things like providing customer parking and tighter planning laws to stop big chain stores dominating the area.”

Mr Bloom added: “The high street is dominated by supermarkets – what do you need six supermarkets for? I’ve always had good trade. If I had a sensible rent I’d happily stay here for another 10 or 15 years. But you can’t keep putting money into a business without taking some out.”   

Their concerns have been echoed by traders in Marchmont Street, another area where the poster campaign was focussed and where businesses have also been hit with rent rises of up to 25 per cent.

Jim MacSweeney, manager of Gay’s The Word bookshop, said: “The campaign is lovely PR but it’s pointless if you then put rents up by 20 per cent. It’s down to different arms of the council doing different things. On the one hand they’re spending money to say love your high street, but the commercial arm still has a responsibility to make as much money as possible out of the shops.”

Meanwhile in West Hampstead, Jitendra Thakorlal, chairman of the traders association, said: “All they have done is put up posters. We need them to carry that campaign forward and come up with measures that really help traders.”

A council spokeswoman said: “The council has a duty to let its commercial properties at market rent and maintain an income, which goes towards the provision of many services. 

“Market rents are determined by comparing the rents paid for similar properties in the same area. If the owner feels that the proposed increase is too high, they can provide evidence to show this, which will be taken into consideration.”

She added: “Parking demand in Camden is always high, and the council tries to make provision for lots of competing demands, including loading for businesses and parking for customers. This has been reviewed in Kentish Town, with additional spaces added. A similar review is happening in West Hampstead.”