Norwich is ranked as the ninth best shopping centre in the country
Photo: Nick Butcher
Copy: Sarah Brealey
What Norwich needs to continue to thrive as a top-ten shopping destination
Tom Bristow, Reporter
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
6:30 AM
The Evening News today investigates the future of our city’s shops in the wake of a radical report which seeks to halt the decline of high streets.
Norwich is already ranked the ninth best in the country for shopping with £1.1billion expected to flow from shoppers purses to city centre tills this year.
But today we look at what more can be done to propel Norwich up the shopping league tables.
The report by Mary Portas, who presents BBC show Mary Queen of Shops, makes 28 suggestions to the Government on how to help the country’s ailing shopping centres.
Norwich is ahead of the game in introducing some of the recommendations, but to help the city grow even further the Evening News has talked to businesses, politicians, shoppers and decision-makers to come up with our shopping list for success.
They are:
•Control of our own business rates.
The government is in the middle of a consultation over handing powers to councils which would give them more control over business rates.
Councils could be allowed to keep more of the rates in the same way as council tax which means our council could spend the money on Norwich businesses.
•Improve park and ride.
After making a saving of £1m on the city’s park and ride earlier this year the county council now appears to be slowly investing again.
Postwick park and ride has reopened on Saturday and the scheme is being better advertised.
Now we need the toilets that used to be on the sites to reopen and more frequent buses at peak times
•Promote Norwich market.
Traders who have been paying more in rates and rents since the revamp feel they are not seeing the full benefits.
Advertising the market as a unique selling-point for Norwich would help
•Reduce the difference between out-of-town and city centre parking.
The difference between parking in out-of-town retail parks and the city centre needs to be narrowed.
Making parking in the city centre cheaper in the evening would give our shops a welcome boost after the working day.
•Slash rents for empty market stalls and shops.
We have 24 empty units in the market. There is no reason why they should not be filled.
•Favour independent shops.
While investment by John Lewis and Marks and Spencer in Norwich is fantastic, our smaller retailers are suffering.
They could be helped through banding together and being given the support of Norwich shoppers - Love Local!
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27 comments
Please bookworm, never stop. Me and my dear old mum look forward to your comments. You make her chuckle something chronic. Level headed comments are what make this forum worth visting.
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Whiley Boy
Thursday, December 15, 2011
The decline of City centre shops is inevitable with astronomical business rates,high rents,and the advent of internet shopping. The decline of effective public transport,high parking charges and the council's bizarre approach to traffic management in the city designed to discourage the motorist hardly helps business to win customers. Nothing will change of course and most people will carry on ordering goods on line. Mary Portas live in a fantasy world if she thinks stating the obvious will change anything.
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Harry Rabinowitz
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
What we need is exports not shopping to buy imports!
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oldowl
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
We need more ROADS,and more Cars to fill them ! all driving around like headless chickens
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Albert Cooper
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Err.. VAT is already 20%
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Ian S
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Don't take it to heart Bookworm, please carry on as before. It's just that everytime I comment on the lead story, I just get a thankyou , an told there is a delay.
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Joe Rome
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Some people really do live in the past. The “High Streets” of yesteryear..... Ber Street, St Augustines, St Benedicts, Magdalen Street, St Stephens need to be replaced with new buildings, of acceptable design, unlike those single storey units that were erected in haste just after the war. That earlier “Road to Nowhere” Rouen Road still looks no better than the King Street it replaced. It is unlikely they will ever be viable as shopping requirements again
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Joe Rome
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
don't worry joerome from this minute i will never post again.
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bookworm
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
I keep trying to get a word in on Bookworms column without any luck." If at first you don't succeed", try again as the saying goes.
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Joe Rome
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Sorry for the delay. Some people really do live in the past. These derelict, run down buildings, do need to be demolished. Ber Street, St Augustines, St Benedicts, The other half of St Stephens opposite of where J*** had their furniture store need to be replaced with new buildings, of acceptable design. Unlike the units built just after the war.Does the majority need them as retail outlets any way? 70 years ago the High Streets of Norwich (e.g.Magdalen Street) were dead. There were odds and ends of shops, selling bits and pieces, to the poor, much as today Families had to sign up for food, usually with the shop on the corner of their street. Clothing was rationed, and very little of any thing else was available. Movement was on foot. 60 years ago rationing came to an end, and the bike with baskets and bags was the main means of transport, and of course the bus. 50 years ago the motor car began to arrive on the streets of Norwich, and the lucky ones could travel into the City, and park their car almost anywhere, free of charge. Gentlemens Walk, was home to L***** , M******, P*****, H and C, L*******, I*********l S*****, S********, M** F********, all struggling to make ends meet. The Provision Market was riding high. C*O**were everywhere. 40 years ago Supermarkets arrived in the shape of E***. D*******, K** M******, L**********, S********, T****. Parking became more difficult. Charging was introduced 30 years ago larger Supermarkets on the edges of Norwich came about, offering Free Parking, but the population was gradually being moved away from Norwich anyway, and these Supermarkets became their local shop. 20years ago the supermarkets increased in size, and became their High Street, other players came into the market, A*** M*******, to name a couple, plus S******, S**********,A***and L*** There was a phase when N*** -M*** –L*** tried their luck, now we have I****, P******, and others. The Malls and areas like Riverside are our new High Streets , not forgeting J*** L****, M****& S******. We no longer live in the land of C****** D******. Home shopping is on the increase. We are not going to turn our backs on the Internet. Pick this to pieces if you must, but The High Streets as they were in imagination no longer exist. No this is not a Quiz, fill in the stars as you see fit, My original contribution was not allowed for Name Dropping.
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Joe Rome
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
norwich is too successful and bustling. it must be altered hence the NDR road being approved. all my xmas's have come at once.
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bookworm
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
How about bulldozing Norwich as we know it to the ground. Then the council can just build one giant Tesco on top and be done with it. Tesco - Every Little Helps.
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Whiley Boy
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
can't have your batten- burg and eat it.death of city shops already?
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bookworm
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Well Done Norwich for being in the top ten. For me it is a case of the shops getting the message out to me what they have got. Now this is not easy, I can be best reached by getting me through the shop doorway earlier in the year. As an example: This Christmas after some window shopping I have bought from Independents, The Market, Majors and the Internet simply to get the specific things I wanted. All made easier because I work in the city and do not have the transport costs or time costs of getting in. I agree with BillyTheBookie when he says shops used to open five and a half days each week. I never got a 25% pay rise to subsidise the shops opening longer. I feel that public transport should be truly public, currently the model is very much utlititarian and it gets the patronage it deserves. Some might say that the patrons get what they deserve. What public transport should be is beyond me.
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George Ezekial
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Well if early reports are true on the BBC website this Govenment of ours plans to raise VAT to 20% from January 4th 2012. What will the result of local businesses be if the rise goes ahead. Simple smaller firms will certainly decide to cease trading cause people will not make impulse purchases. The Government gets advise on how to bring a recovery to the High street then pull this kind of ecomonic damaging stunt !
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chebram71
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
With the NDR given the green light, this will mean only one thing. The space between the current city boundary and the new road can now be filled in by out of town shopping areas...RIP City centre shops!
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Yellow Blood
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Bad planning decisions
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Albert Cooper
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
I am Norwich born and Bred,and although there have been many plannig decisions over many years,iits still a great place to live in,and i am sure the unique character of Norwich will pull us through this recession,and will go further up the league if top shopping destinations
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Albert Cooper
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Years ago shops opened for 5 and half ,days per week. Now your getting the same ammount of people over 7 days and thur.night time. So I would bring in Shops not open till 10 and close all day Thursdays. (That would save money on wages.and you would still have the same ammount of people per week)
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billythebookie
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Thank you bookworm. My day has been brightened.
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Whiley Boy
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
stingers should read strangers--my i mac changes all my words.
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bookworm
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
whiley--if you mean my comment that u look middle-class--yes i suppose its a compliment. i don't like the city but the forum is located there.i also don't like stingers pushing me or touching me which happens on the bus and on the streets.
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bookworm
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Allow Big Issue sellers, but restrict them to one per four thousand mile radius. Was that a compliment to me bookworm by the way? You little minx.
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Whiley Boy
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
as i said yesterday on the edp site--ban big issue sellers and buskers and dave perry.they make me feel uncomfortable. also don't cut down on buses --make OAPs pay £1.30 each way.some posters say buses are polluting the city but they carry 30 plus people so they are a green way to travel.duh!!!
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bookworm
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
With you on the free parking.its £3 for a morning up the city in the mall.im simmering with resentment.
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bookworm
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
*correction- Cheaper parking should be changed to free parking
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billythebookie
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Reduce the difference between out-of-town and city centre parking. The difference between parking in out-of-town retail parks and the city centre needs to be narrowed ?????Out of town parking being free of course....don't think Norwich City Council are going to lower their prices for parking anytime soon.
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nrg
Wednesday, December 14, 2011