In times of recession, our high streets are even more vulnerable to decline adding to the difficulties that they have been having over many years as a result of out of town shops with parking and now with internet shopping as well. In Hampstead we see small independent shops like Pure Fruit under threat. In Highgate, we have seen the high street taken over by estate agents. This is however not an issue for the well-off of Hampstead and Highgate alone but for all of us. Having healthy vibrant high streets helps ensure that there is a heart to our communities and it also means we are not locked into a system which means we need to drive to distant large impersonal shops. That is why the Greens have for a long time called for action to safeguard our high streets and why we support the demands of Hampstead traders and of the Highgate Society for action.
The Mary Portas report comes up with some interesting ideas, and we are calling for the Council to form a high streets team to put together a plan in response to the report. In particular, we will be supporting the request for Council rents on commercial accomodation to be frozen and reduced where necessary. The Council has powers to promote sustainable development and does not always have to push for the highest rents it can get. It needs to think about the shops and services that support the local community and safeguard high streets over the longer term. I will also be calling for a review of parking policy which means that people get free parking if they drive to the 02 Centre or Tesco but find it impossible and expensive to park if they want to shop at a local high street. We would also like to see the potential to use the neighbourhood forums as the basis of strong local groups to work on protecting high streets. This would mean development of the forums so they worked in partnership with Council officers, traders associations and others to develop effective strategies.
There is much that can be done to protecty our high streets which is essential for our local communities and for our local economies, and Camden Green Party is calling for a strong and effective action to achieve this.
The Mary Portas report comes up with some interesting ideas, and we are calling for the Council to form a high streets team to put together a plan in response to the report. In particular, we will be supporting the request for Council rents on commercial accomodation to be frozen and reduced where necessary. The Council has powers to promote sustainable development and does not always have to push for the highest rents it can get. It needs to think about the shops and services that support the local community and safeguard high streets over the longer term. I will also be calling for a review of parking policy which means that people get free parking if they drive to the 02 Centre or Tesco but find it impossible and expensive to park if they want to shop at a local high street. We would also like to see the potential to use the neighbourhood forums as the basis of strong local groups to work on protecting high streets. This would mean development of the forums so they worked in partnership with Council officers, traders associations and others to develop effective strategies.
There is much that can be done to protecty our high streets which is essential for our local communities and for our local economies, and Camden Green Party is calling for a strong and effective action to achieve this.
