Colin James Posted January 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 I popped a bit in the other thread here: http://www.herefordvoice.co.uk/topic/772-herefordshire-council-refused-my-hot-food-curfew-petition/ Essentially, I believe that the nightclubs serving hot food whilst forcing a curfew and refusal of longer hours on independent traders constitutes a monopoly - which is illegal A very valid point indeed. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 According to this facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/esgpics/posts/405612439573605?stream_ref=10 Some people are pushing for a Burger King to be added to the list. Comments of more than 1 word seem to be against it, although it clearly has it's supporters. I like Burger King, but come on, another generic fast food place? I thought the purpose of the OLM was to bring people in, why would people come from outside of Hereford just to go to a cinema they already have near them or to eat a Burger King or McDonalds which are 2 a penny? Surely you need to get people coming here with unique shops, activities etc? Someone in the comments suggested a Hereford Steak House which I think would be a fantastic idea! We have world famous beef known around the globe.. and yet we have no steak house. Surely the definition of insanity? ............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 Does ANYONE see something wrong with this picture? Hereford Steikhus, Reykjavikm ICELAND Hereford Steak House, North Carolina Hereford Steakhouse, Copenhagen Hereford Steak House, Kansas City The ACTUAL, World renowned, home of Hereford Beef, HEREFORD, UK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudSawyer Posted January 23, 2014 Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 The shop that used to be Cookmate on Widemarsh St (near the butcher's and florist) seems to be turning into some kind of recruitment business - some people were putting up notices saying something about apprenticeships. The shop that used to be Phase Eight (near the post office) seems to undergoing some kind of re-fit. The National Trust shop (roughly opposite Costa Coffee) is closing down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 I drove through Ledbury today. The first thing I noticed while bouncing down the road that has clearly been carpet bombed - was that the high street was clean, really clean. Then I noticed that all of the shops were open. So, on the way back through, I made a conscious effort to count the empty shops. I literally counted 1 - maybe 2 (it was near a pothole). So I wonder what it is that makes a tiny countryside town prosperous, yet a city centre not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise Lloyd Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Because the powers that be decided to make Hereford something it is not and never will be. It was a small market town/city and that fact should have been built on not try to turn it into a large shopping centre with abysmal infrastructure. Now Hereford just looks like a dump and is a dump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Agreed. I imagine Ledbury has significantly lower business rates also. It was possible to build and expand on what Hereford already had successfully, but yes, they've opted for the bulldozer technique instead. It wouldn't be half as bad if the OLM had new shops going into as they promised. But, apart from 3, all of the retail shops already exist in Hereford, they are just moving and leaving more spaces behind. The food court/street will probably be quite nice, but not really a sole reason to come to Hereford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Beynon Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 If there was any doubt that this Council were totally out of their depth when dealing with the smart city-kids of Stanhope/McAlpine/British Land, latest news is that Stanhope have bought up the H & M Lease in Commercial Street - no doubt using the £500k they were gifted by the Council following their least-minute brinkmanship - with a view to closing the store and moving H & M to the Old Livestock Market site. Further, we will be looking at scaffolding in High a Town for a great deal longer (it's already been 3 years!) because the anchor tenant, River Island, has also been poached by the OLM. Whatever happened to the ring-fencing of existing city centre businesses promised by this Council?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 The new schematic shows that H&M, Fat Face, River Island, Vodaphone and Clarks are moving out of the city centre into the OLM to join Next, TKMaxx and the Odeon. I've said it time and time again, the councils big picture has clearly always been to move the center of Hereford and start again from scratch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twowheelsgood Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 But to what end? Who benefits? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragwert Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 The new schematic shows that H&M, Fat Face, River Island, Vodaphone and Clarks are moving out of the city centre into the OLM to join Next, TKMaxx and the Odeon. I've said it time and time again, the councils big picture has clearly always been to move the center of Hereford and start again from scratch. I heard Vodafone and Clarks are just opening other stores there same as Boots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragwert Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 If there was any doubt that this Council were totally out of their depth when dealing with the smart city-kids of Stanhope/McAlpine/British Land, latest news is that Stanhope have bought up the H & M Lease in Commercial Street - no doubt using the £500k they were gifted by the Council following their least-minute brinkmanship - with a view to closing the store and moving H & M to the Old Livestock Market site. Further, we will be looking at scaffolding in High a Town for a great deal longer (it's already been 3 years!) because the anchor tenant, River Island, has also been poached by the OLM. Whatever happened to the ring-fencing of existing city centre businesses promised by this Council?! There is nothing stopping any business from relocating where ever they want no matter how much people dislike the idea. And who really blames River Island ? I certainly don't. Busineses that grow and prosper need bigger and better premises something that the Town centre cannot give. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenda Powell Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 No one moves without an insentive, so do I take it you are all in favour of the killing of High Town for the OLM site? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 I heard Vodafone and Clarks are just opening other stores there same as Boots I can't for a second see Vodaphone and Clarks staying open where they are now if they are duplicating at the OLM. And Boots as well you say? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragwert Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 No's 11 12 13 St Peters St (old phase eight shop and both either side) have had there use changed from A1 retail to A2 financial/professional services. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragwert Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 No one moves without an insentive, so do I take it you are all in favour of the killing of High Town for the OLM site? I'm in favour of pulling this dump of a City kicking and screaming into the 21st Century Glenda. The new development won't ever stop me from shopping in town Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twowheelsgood Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 It’s a speculative pe No's 11 12 13 St Peters St (old phase eight shop and both either side) have had there use changed from A1 retail to A2 financial/professional services. It’s a speculative development by a London based property developer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragwert Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 It’s a speculative pe It’s a speculative development by a London based property developer. As change of use has been approved and builders are already working on units I would guess they already have businesses lined up to move in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megilleland Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 Design a High Street Part of the consumer programme on Radio 4 - You and Yours (Monday 3rd February 2014) An interesting 9 minute piece on designing a high street from scratch with similarities to Hereford City's situation at the moment. The emphasis appears to be on making the High Street Area more of a community centre with leisure and cultural experiences. Wasn't the original plan for the ESG to include a new library and museum? It was a pity the Record Office was moved out to Rotherwas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 Ragwert, you said that Boots are opening a shop in the OLM as well - what is your source for this? And do you honestly think with a new shop in the OLM they will keep Boots open 200 meters up the road? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megilleland Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Two more closures. Received two letters today stating that opticians Chave & Jackson, 6/7 Broad Street and Rayner 20 Eign Gate are both closing and customers' records transferred to Vision Express Opticians at 7/8 High Street opposite Boots. No reasons given. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudSawyer Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Wasn't the original plan for the ESG to include a new library and museum? The plans I saw a couple of years or three ago said a new library on Blueschool Street as well as a fantasy hotel. Two more closures. Received two letters today stating that opticians Chave & Jackson, 6/7 Broad Street and Rayner 20 Eign Gate are both closing and customers' records transferred to Vision Express Opticians at 7/8 High Street opposite Boots. No reasons given. Yes, my other half got a letter from Chave & Jackson Opticians to say they are shutting down, but I presume the street-level chemist's shop is still going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philbates Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 Just been told that Bar spirit is closing, unconfirmed at the moment but apparently the info came from the owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 HT two hours ago confirms this http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/10991627.Bar_Spirit_in_Hereford_to_close_this_weekend/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megilleland Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 From International Business Times Britain Has 'Too Many Shops' as 50,000 Lay Empty By SHANE CROUCHER | February 10, 2014 15:16 PM GMT Shop vacancy on Britain's forlorn high street fell to a near-four year low in 2013, but there are still "too many shops" in the country as 50,000 lay empty. The Local Data Company said shop vacancy hit an average rate for the UK of 13.9% in December, the lowest since July 2010. Retailers have been hard-hit by the economic slump after the financial crisis, as squeezed consumers tightened their belts. But an economic recovery began in 2013, with the annual growth rate of 1.9% the fastest since 2007. "2013 was a pivotal year for our town centres," said Matthew Hopkinson, director of the Local Data Company. "It showed stabilisation of vacancy rates at a national level and saw the lowest vacancy rate recorded since mid-2010. "Along with other key indicators such as house prices, GDP and unemployment you would not be wrong to identify 2013 as the year that the UK's economic recovery began." However, Hopkinson added: "It is clear that Great Britain has too many shops, over 50,000 lie empty, and that technology will drive further consolidation. The speed of change is quickening and it is therefore more important than ever before to know which locations are thriving, surviving or dying." There is also a sharp divide between the north and south. In the north east and north west, the shop vacancy rate in 2013 was a combined 17% - well above the national average of 12.2%. "Of the top 10 worst town centres for vacant retail and leisure premises, all of whom are above 25%, 7 are in the North East or North West," said the Local Data Company report. "Conversely, of the top 10 best performing town centres with the least vacant units, 6 are in Greater London." There is also an increasing dominance of "mega malls", such as Westfield at Stratford, which have low vacancy rates but drain neighbouring high streets of their retailers. LDC commented: “empty retail and lesiure premises (52,000) are a massive problem for this country and are unlikely to reduce unless significant action is taken. The total number of GB vacant shops is equivalent to 23 Sheffield Town Centres being empty.†Not sure where Hereford is in the charts, but Swansea comes bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twowheelsgood Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 As change of use has been approved and builders are already working on units I would guess they already have businesses lined up to move in. Not if the 'To Let' signs in the windows are anything to go by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 Along with Chave and Jacksons opticians, my old Mums been told that Rayners opticians are also closing. Nice to see that Cocos Vintage has relocated to Church Street, but that does mean that there is another empty unit in Maylords. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 Apologies Megilleland, just seen that you also included this reference to Rayners in your earlier post!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 No one moves without an insentive, so do I take it you are all in favour of the killing of High Town for the OLM site? What is he incentive to stay in the city centre Councillor? Nowhere to park for customers (unless you have a blue badge), Traffic wardens itching to book you if you are 2 mins late back to your car. Scaffolding eyesore in the city centre with no change expected soon. High business rates shell I go on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 What is he incentive to stay in the city centre Councillor? Nowhere to park for customers (unless you have a blue badge), Traffic wardens itching to book you if you are 2 mins late back to your car. Scaffolding eyesore in the city centre with no change expected soon. High business rates shell I go on? I know some of the old Chadds shop is occupied but a big portion isn't. It's location, size/shape (and lack of any parking) is probably why it's unoccupied and it's a very uninviting sight to behold as you enter the City Centre from the Aylestone direction. I may have pointed out before that I am no fan of these pop up market tents in town either. It just seems that the empty shop units are left to rot whilst we have a replacement which is no different to the tat that was previous sold at the outdoor market. ie like the stall that sells 50 million sorts of phone covers all of which seem as cheap and nasty as each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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