SIDCUP: Have your say on town improvements
8:20am Wednesday 24th June 2009 in
PEOPLE who live and shop in Sidcup have been giving their views about planned improvements aimed at revitalising the town centre.
Traders in Sidcup have been meeting with Bexley Council in recent months, urging it to help to prevent the high street from falling into terminal decline.
The credit crunch has deepened the problem with the number of empty shops on the increase.
But more than 250 people turned out to an “open day” organised by the council in Sidcup High Street where councillors were able to talk through planned improvements, and get people’s views.
Some of the proposals involve improving the town centre’s street furniture such as benches, waste bins and signs.
Mike Lowe, vice chairman of the traders’ group, the Sidcup High Street Promotions Group, said one of the major issues facing the High Street was the lack of cheap or free parking.
He said: “There is a petition circulating on the issue, but the council do not seem very interested.
“Parking should not be a revenue collector for the council.
“First and foremost, it should be a service.
“It is essential if the high street is to survive, and some other town centres are already realising it.”
Mr Lowe said he is hoping Bexley will alter the parking regime in the town, to provide for some free parking periods.
He added: “Just offering free parking on odd Saturdays is not good enough.”
Mr Lowe also suggested the council might consider renting some of the empty sites in the town such as behind the Black Horse pub in the High Street, or a development site in Hatherley Road, as temporary free car parks.
He said the traders felt this could help bring people back to the town’s shops.
Mr Lowe added: “This is not just for the traders, it is about everyone.”
He said it was also important to smarten up the image of the town centre to attract new shops and shoppers into the town and new street furniture would help to improve Sidcup’s image.
There is still a chance for anyone who has not yet given their opinions, to do so.
Mr Lowe will be taking comments at his Sidcup Barber Shop in the High Street, for another week.
Comments(5)
JHopper
says...
9:39am Wed 24 Jun 09
The sad fact of the matter is the High Street no longer holds any attraction for shoppers. You can't even buy a CD if you want one. Luckily, Morrisons has its own cut price CD/DVD section.
A sad fact, but a very true one. If only Sidcup traders would admit it and stop pinning their hopes for the future of Sidcup High Street on bins, benches and signs to nowhere.
shergars ghost
says...
10:01pm Wed 24 Jun 09
without prior investment in and for the future of Sidcup.
I hope that a decent proposal is put to the Council and they listen.
bexleyman
says...
9:10am Fri 26 Jun 09
However it was just a number of months ago that Bexley council said that it would be "too expensive" to enforce this, coincidentally, Morrisons rapidly increased the number of non-food items it sold and the number of aisles it dedicates towards it, no doubt to the detriment of the high street.
One has to ask how difficult can it really be to enforce this condition, and surely this is a clear example of economic market failure, merely the cost of enforcing the rule has been taken into account when deciding whether it's worth bothering enforcing the rule, rather then placing a monetary value upon the benefits of a thriving high street, not to mention the moral obligation I believe the council has in ensuring that any planning permission conditions are strictly adhered to, anyone with any experience will know just how strict they are on domestic planning conditions!
JHopper
says...
11:46am Fri 26 Jun 09
I used to do all my family shopping in Sidcup but there aren't any shops selling meat, fish and groceries to warrant taking the time to find a parking space. The last time I bought some fish from Somerfield, I got it home only to find it was off and stank to high heaven. I didn't bother taking it back but instead made a mental note to myself to never shop there again.
Morrisons has a fantastic fresh fish counter and their meat is of good quality, as are the fruit and veg. If Sidcup and surrounding area residents relied on Sidcup High Street for their groceries, they would quickly die of starvation!
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JHopper says...
9:13am Wed 24 Jun 09
I fail to see how street furniture would attract people to Sidcup, but I guess it would give the kids something to sprawl about on and vandalise. Perhaps they could put a bench outside the pub so the smokers would be more comfortable when they are puffing their smoke into shoppers' faces?
As for parking, there is loads at Morrisons which is why people have left the High Street to do their shopping there instead.
The only way I can see Sidcup High Street improving is by pedestrianising it but that won't happen because it would cause traffic chaos.
Why don't they demolish the Black Horse pub and build a car park as it is another eyesore with its steel shutters and fake palm trees or whatever they are?
Or perhaps have a meeting with Morrisons and ask them that, as they stole the old Nelson Place car park and nigh-on killed the High Street in the process, they might perhaps have the goodwill to give up part of their car park to High Street shoppers?
The person to blame in all this is the one who gave the go-ahead for the then Safeway supermarket. My God, they have even had to change the road layout outside Morrisons because of congestion caused by the increased traffic which has incurred - at taxpayers's expense, I daresay.