Time to try harder to save 'ghost street'
THE landlords of empty city centre shops need to work harder to fill them – and even consider new uses, Plymouth's city centre manager says.
Clint Jones said landlords should target chains not currently trading in Plymouth and even consider other uses such as bars, restaurants and "social enterprises" to fill vacant shops.
He was speaking as JJB Sports became the latest high-profile chain to pull the plug on a Plymouth city centre store.
Its New George Street branch will shut on Tuesday at the latest, and join a growing list of empty units in the lower end of the road, already including Woolworths, Officers Club, Game, Hawkins Bazaar, Derrys, TJ Hughes, and Nectar.
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"Agents and landlords need to be more proactive about who they are targeting to go into these shops," Mr Jones said.
"There is a long list of retailers we would like to go in there. We'd like some new retailers for Plymouth, and some independents. The time for landlords to be holding out for that extra right tenant has gone," he said. "We need to be 'let's fill them'."
And he added: "I would not be averse to a change of use. It need not be retail based, but leisure, or restaurants or social enterprises.
"We need to get people in there and work with landlords to get people in there."
Mr Jones stressed he was, however, regularly speaking to agents about bringing in retailers and said that the rest of the city had fewer empty shops than the national average.
Nationally retailers have been assailed by problems, including the double-dip recession, the impact of out-of-town shopping and internet selling.
But Mr Jones said that with just 11 per cent of Plymouth's city centre vacant it was performing better than the national average, which stands at 11.6 per cent.
And he stressed he had visited many other town and city centres and said: "We have one of the liveliest and most vibrant city centres."
Ray Robins, chairman of the Market Traders' Association and Cornwall Street Shopkeepers Association, said the city's West End "independent quarter" was still successful, despite the woes around lower New George Street.
He said that area had suffered because mid-sized national chains had been the worst affected by the economic slump.
But he wants the city centre to remain retail led and said: "City centres have got to change but we are retailers, that's what we do. Once you start looking to other uses it's the slippery slope."
And Mr Robins urged retailers to work harder, and said: "When times are good you can be a bad retailer and people come in and throw money in your till. But when it's hard times you have to know what you're doing, know your customers, or it doesn't matter if you're big or small, you're going under."
Comment – Page 11
Comments
by Nevman
Saturday, September 22 2012, 4:56PM
“"South of the sundial", Madhatter? That must be why it's called the West End, then. Or do you think Smeaton's Tower might be the problem?
"Nuff said", indeed...”
by hstmtu4000
Saturday, September 22 2012, 1:49AM
“Plymouth has effectively become a city without a centre since the 1950/60s with sprawling suburbs and out of town developments as well as the internet increasingly now serving most peoples needs.At the same time regionally Plymouth has lost out to developments at Exeter,Truro and even Barnstaple whose shopping centres now offer a far more attractive shopping experience particularly to the more affluent shopper.Exeter in particular is now very accessible to a vast swath of South West shoppers thanks to its good road and rail links.(A30,A38,M5 plus 2 main rail lines and 2 branch lines)
Add to that decades of economic decline and bad planning decisions which have destroyed our once green and pleasant city centre leaving todays souless and downbeat concrete jungle and its no wonder not enough people with money to spend go there any more other than for a cup of coffee.”
by Madhatter64
Friday, September 21 2012, 10:36PM
“At the end of the day, it's "south of the sundial", enough said.”
by Waltersmith
Friday, September 21 2012, 9:14PM
“There are possibilities BUT it needs someone with vision which I am afraid is completely lacking in Plymouth. Won't be too long til Brittany Ferries pull out. This is a city going nowhere fast”
by Waltersmith
Friday, September 21 2012, 9:07PM
“@turner 33
Exactly”
by turner33
Friday, September 21 2012, 7:35PM
“We use to shop in the city centre but not any more. The boring mall at one end, the dodgy outdoor markets in the middle and the cash/pawn/charity shops at the other end, are just not worth the £6+ to park, when we can enjoy the vibrant and street-friendly exeter or truro city centres.”
by deputydog
Friday, September 21 2012, 5:43PM
“i like the west end and shop there lots at least there are proper butchers not like the supermarkets i wish chris dawson had gone into derrys it would have been great i miss tj hughes and wollies dont like the mall have only been in there five times since it opened”
by jaygeek1
Friday, September 21 2012, 4:17PM
“If it were easy to make good money from owning a business and renting a property in the lower half of the city centre then people would be doing it. Clearly it is no easy task.
What benefits and concessions do landlords, Plymouth City Council & Inland Revenue offer as incentives to help business's starting up ? Not enough I will wager............too many costly overheads are the killer for most business's.
As an off the top of my head idea I have this to offer : PCC compulsory purchases any & all they can from the bottom end of the town and rent directly to entrepeneurs who wish to start their own business........should be cheaper for the entrepeneur, rejuvenate the vicinity, and most importantly improve the overall feeling that Plymouth is turning into a ghost town.
I only mention the compulsory purchase order thing as a sly swipe at PCC who seem content to exercise this ability for the University and the new swilly estate being built........so why not to fat cat business men squeezing the life out of new starters.”
by knucklehead
Friday, September 21 2012, 4:03PM
“I get so tired and frustrated at the chronic customer service in some City shops.
My wife and I try to shop local but there are very few shining stars that make spending pleasant.
I have always preferred shopping online but when it comes to clothing I like to try it on first but cannot tolerate the sad service”
by jackplane
Friday, September 21 2012, 2:34PM
“just face it internet shopping has taken over ,car parking costs ,camera cars etc , plus plymouth is dead ,no decent rail,road links,airport gone ,plus the way its going no ferry link,and dont forget unemployment ?”