SIGNS OF THE TIMES: Prof Chris Brady with the mass of shops at the Lansdowne end of Old Christchurch Road which are empty or closed. Picture: Corin Messer. ID: 6701256
RENT increases and shoppers' changing tastes have closed 40 per cent of shops in part of Bournemouth town centre.
The Lansdowne end of Old Christchurch Road has a slew of "to let" signs above empty premises whose doormats are littered with unopened letters.
The worst pocket, between the roundabout and Wootton Mount, has five closed daytime businesses out of 13, including O'Briens Sandwich Bar, tbh Grill, and Loans for Goods.
Roger Parker, the town centre manager for Bournemouth Tourism, said: "A lot of landlords think they have to carry high rents because it's Bournemouth."
Steve Philipo, owner of Strictly Beats for 14 years, said: "The rents have been increasing, and rents also help decide your business rates.
"Average rents are £15,000-£20,000 a year. When I first got the shop it was £44 a week. This area was like a ghost town. Over the last year or two it's started to go back that way."
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Professor Chris Brady, the dean of Bournemouth University business school, said niche traders could still survive and pointed to Le Crème Brulee, a patisserie that cooks its own food and is popular with the French community.
But he said the area was more known for nightclubs and added: "Today people want to know what they are getting when they go into an area. Mixed retail is not what we do these days."
Most bars in the area and late night restaurants are still open, apart from the pub Label which shut after its parent company went into administration.
Further down towards the pedestrian area, the majority of premises are open but there are several empty premises and two restaurants are temporarily closed.
Footfall counters have found Old Christchurch Road losing shoppers while Commercial Road has been gaining them.
Nigel Hedges, president of the Chamber of Trade, said business in Bournemouth goes through cycles and pointed out recent success on Old Christchurch Road around Beales.
Posted by: michael carpenter, BOSCOMBE on 1:27pm Sun 11 May 08
ITS HARDLY NEWS THE AREA IS GROTTY, WITH DIRTY BUILDINGS AND STREET COVERED IN LITTER! SINCE THEY CLOSED THE JOBCENTRE IN OLD CHRISTCHURCH ROAD I HAVE HAD NO REASON TO GO DOWN THERE AND DO MY BEST TO AVOID THE AREA.
ITS HARDLY NEWS THE AREA IS GROTTY, WITH DIRTY BUILDINGS AND STREET COVERED IN LITTER! SINCE THEY CLOSED THE JOBCENTRE IN OLD CHRISTCHURCH ROAD I HAVE HAD NO REASON TO GO DOWN THERE AND DO MY BEST TO AVOID THE AREA.
You do not need business premises to do trade anymore,look at all the cars being sold from driveways,and side of the road,there are a lot of empty shops in winton,yet the council allow a house on a busy Latimer rd junction,to use their driveway for retail sales.Take away the estate agents and charity shops,and Winton would look worse.At the moordown end we have 4 estate agents facing another 3,and 3 more not far away.Some old established shops remain, like, STURTONS,Its not just Ebay thats affecting business.
You do not need business premises to do trade anymore,look at all the cars being sold from driveways,and side of the road,there are a lot of empty shops in winton,yet the council allow a house on a busy Latimer rd junction,to use their driveway for retail sales.Take away the estate agents and charity shops,and Winton would look worse.At the moordown end we have 4 estate agents facing another 3,and 3 more not far away.Some old established shops remain, like, STURTONS,Its not just Ebay thats affecting business.
You do not need business premises to do trade anymore,look at all the cars being sold from driveways,and side of the road,there are a lot of empty shops in winton,yet the council allow a house on a busy Latimer rd junction,to use their driveway for retail sales.Take away the estate agents and charity shops,and Winton would look worse.At the moordown end we have 4 estate agents facing another 3,and 3 more not far away.Some old established shops remain, like, STURTONS,Its not just Ebay thats affecting business.
You do not need business premises to do trade anymore,look at all the cars being sold from driveways,and side of the road,there are a lot of empty shops in winton,yet the council allow a house on a busy Latimer rd junction,to use their driveway for retail sales.Take away the estate agents and charity shops,and Winton would look worse.At the moordown end we have 4 estate agents facing another 3,and 3 more not far away.Some old established shops remain, like, STURTONS,Its not just Ebay thats affecting business.
Posted by: Steve, Bournemouth on 5:47pm Sun 11 May 08
Of course, the pay and display machines for
on street parking, (together with the threatened extension of these around the East Cliff) would'nt have any effect at all on trade would they?
Of course, the pay and display machines for
on street parking, (together with the threatened extension of these around the East Cliff) would'nt have any effect at all on trade would they?
Posted by: Ashley Miller, Bournemouth on 6:56pm Sun 11 May 08
[quote][bold]Steve[/bold] wrote:
Of course, the pay and display machines for
on street parking, (together with the threatened extension of these around the East Cliff) would'nt have any effect at all on trade would they? [/quote] Spot on Steve. Pay & display has crucified the town centre shopping . Thankyou councillors for killing off the livelihoods of many!
Night times it's totally different. Park where you want to . Bus stops, taxi ranks, everywhere & anywhere along Old Christchurch Road so that emergency vehicles can't operate properly.
Where are the parking enforcement officers then? Safely tucked up in bed dreaming of ticketing a "naughty Shopper". Pathetic really isn't it?
Steve wrote:
Of course, the pay and display machines for
on street parking, (together with the threatened extension of these around the East Cliff) would'nt have any effect at all on trade would they?
Spot on Steve. Pay & display has crucified the town centre shopping . Thankyou councillors for killing off the livelihoods of many!
Night times it's totally different. Park where you want to . Bus stops, taxi ranks, everywhere & anywhere along Old Christchurch Road so that emergency vehicles can't operate properly.
Where are the parking enforcement officers then? Safely tucked up in bed dreaming of ticketing a "naughty Shopper". Pathetic really isn't it?
Posted by: PokesdownMark, Pokesdown on 8:09pm Sun 11 May 08
Its the parking, has to be. I used to go here for lunch. But now you can't park for longer than an hour... even if you want to pay. Rediculous. Short sighted.
Its the parking, has to be. I used to go here for lunch. But now you can't park for longer than an hour... even if you want to pay. Rediculous. Short sighted.
Posted by: Christopher, Wallisdown & Winton West on 6:47pm Mon 12 May 08
Old Christchurch Road is not the road it use to be. Everyone expects changes, yes, but gone has the retail that use to thrive the full length of the road. Now it is nothing but Bars, Bars, Pubs, Pubs, and Clubs. It only caters for the night life as such, thus daytime businesses have moved out or gone broke.
Old Christchurch Road is not the road it use to be. Everyone expects changes, yes, but gone has the retail that use to thrive the full length of the road. Now it is nothing but Bars, Bars, Pubs, Pubs, and Clubs. It only caters for the night life as such, thus daytime businesses have moved out or gone broke.
Posted by: gdarnton, Bournemouth on 5:28pm Thu 15 May 08
The UK has the highest industry and inter-industy concentration ratios in the developed world - put in simple language there is a serious lack of competition in many sectors - of course small businesses cannot survive easily in town centres. For example, compare London and Hong Kong. In the UK it's the same companies dominating high streets everywhere. Big retail is killing small retail - in part because of very poor enforcement of competition law and policy.
The UK has the highest industry and inter-industy concentration ratios in the developed world - put in simple language there is a serious lack of competition in many sectors - of course small businesses cannot survive easily in town centres. For example, compare London and Hong Kong. In the UK it's the same companies dominating high streets everywhere. Big retail is killing small retail - in part because of very poor enforcement of competition law and policy.
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