Southend needs new shopping district, say planners (From Southend Standard)

Southend High Street is just about surviving and a pale shadow of it's heydays. In this era of intenet shopping it will be a struggle to keep it above water in a highly competitive market place. Spreading the thin layer of jam with further out of town developments like Fossetts Farm is ludicrous.

There are many empty shops on the High Street so how can there be over trading¿?
Victoria Circus is empty......

What an absolute load of nonsense talked by these "planners". Have they had a look around Victoria Plaza lately? Enough spare capacity there for loads of shops. Why on earth is there any need for more out-of-town eyesores?

So Southend United hire " experts" at Savills and then the Council hire GL Hearns to assess Savills conclusions and say they are wrong. Either Savills are not experts or GL Hearns are wrong so would you trust? I would trust my eyes and see lots of empty shops in Southend High Street and don't see any of the big companies beating a path to set up here.

Trying to drum up business with so many empty shop premises about, oh well, hopefully one day, a lot of these retail parks will be returned to just parks, grass, lakes and trees, as we do all our shopping from the home computer......

vi c plaza check the rent and rates no way, high st check the car parking rates its sbc golden cash cow it keeps the councilers snouts in the trough

I disagree. The type of shops attracted to retail parks are entirely different to those on the high street. Look around at other parks, the airport one, the numerous Thurrock ones and even the existing shops around Fossets way. They are never empty, people are always in those shops yet they're not detracting from High Street trade. I for one would be very happy to bring more shops towards the Thorpe Bay/Shoebury/Southch
urch/Wakering area.

So the council get consultants in to compile a report that says the High Street is 'over-trading'.

Then they get consultants in to compile a report that says there's no evidence of that 'on the ground'.

I think they should get consultants in to compile a report that tells them consultant's report aren't worth the paper they're written on.

sosad 1 wrote:
vi c plaza check the rent and rates no way, high st check the car parking rates its sbc golden cash cow it keeps the councilers snouts in the trough

Ah the sky high rates, the high cost of parking - YEAH LETS RUSH TO SOUTHEND, loads of bargains, loads of choice, wow

Are these people completely mad ! Southend town centre has empty shops. Why create a new shopping spaces?. Southend is also served by 2 railway lines and is accessible to many. Idiots

mys842 wrote:
I disagree. The type of shops attracted to retail parks are entirely different to those on the high street. Look around at other parks, the airport one, the numerous Thurrock ones and even the existing shops around Fossets way. They are never empty, people are always in those shops yet they're not detracting from High Street trade. I for one would be very happy to bring more shops towards the Thorpe Bay/Shoebury/Southch

urch/Wakering area.

Ah yes.

Airport Trading Estate - PC World, closed.
Fossets - Comet, closed.

The airport estate is only busy because it has Macdonalds. And when did you ever see the B&Q car park full? Maplin isn't exactly heaving, either.

SBC should stick to their guns. The extra cash could rejuvenate the High Street, if only by making car parking free for a few years!

The type of businesses that normally rent premises in out of town shopping centres are the type who find it difficult to find the right size premises at the right price in the town centres.
The rents and rates in the centre of Southend (inc. Vic Shopping Centre) are extreme to the point of extrotionate. Very few businesses, especially small, independent businesses, would even consider the High St or the town centre shopping centres, especially when other factors are taken into consideration like the high parking costs and high public transport costs for their customers. And here lies the propblem.
Out of town shopping centres are fine and will rarely impact on the town centres if the town centres were opened up to the independent trader with low rents, rates and cheap fares and parking to attract the customers. This will leave the larger, chain stores to use the out of town retail parks and, thus, a happy balance is created.
There is no way on this earth that a new retail park will damage the town centre as it is. The council need to take their blinkers off and realise that the thing killing the town centre are the high rents, rates, parking and public transport costs, not out of town retail parks.

marshman wrote:
So the council get consultants in to compile a report that says the High Street is 'over-trading'. Then they get consultants in to compile a report that says there's no evidence of that 'on the ground'. I think they should get consultants in to compile a report that tells them consultant's report aren't worth the paper they're written on.

Saville = High Street "Over Trading" commissioned by SUFC therefore interested party to new stadium
Hearn = High Street "Nott Overtrading" commisioned by SBC.
Savilles stated at 1st Application that Sutton Road is a local rural lane that would not be affected by the increase in traffic - well I know which report I will beleive and it would not be Savilles

Planners have only one aim.

Making money for themselves.

sjreynolds143 wrote:

mys842 wrote: I disagree. The type of shops attracted to retail parks are entirely different to those on the high street. Look around at other parks, the airport one, the numerous Thurrock ones and even the existing shops around Fossets way. They are never empty, people are always in those shops yet they're not detracting from High Street trade. I for one would be very happy to bring more shops towards the Thorpe Bay/Shoebury/Southch urch/Wakering area.

Ah yes. Airport Trading Estate - PC World, closed. Fossets - Comet, closed. The airport estate is only busy because it has Macdonalds. And when did you ever see the B&Q car park full? Maplin isn't exactly heaving, either. SBC should stick to their guns. The extra cash could rejuvenate the High Street, if only by making car parking free for a few years!

B and Q is usually packed at the weekends. On a bank holiday it's a no go zone.

Absolute rubbish about there being a McDonalds there. People go there as I do because either, they need an alternative to the town centre Argos, the need Staples or one of the discount shops. It has free parking unlike town centres and is therefore highly attractive. PC world has been almagated to the London Road retail park - not a town centre location. In fact the town centre one closed.

Comet closed as did almost every other comet store in the country - this is nothing to do with Southend.

The extra caseh won't be spent on Southend High Street and we all know it. It's like SBC council have given up on the High Street. If they hadn't they'd knock down some of the eyesore buildings, reduce parking charges for non-seafront car parks, attract businesses to The Victoria, etc etc etc

mys842 wrote:

sjreynolds143 wrote:

mys842 wrote: I disagree. The type of shops attracted to retail parks are entirely different to those on the high street. Look around at other parks, the airport one, the numerous Thurrock ones and even the existing shops around Fossets way. They are never empty, people are always in those shops yet they're not detracting from High Street trade. I for one would be very happy to bring more shops towards the Thorpe Bay/Shoebury/Southch urch/Wakering area.

Ah yes. Airport Trading Estate - PC World, closed. Fossets - Comet, closed. The airport estate is only busy because it has Macdonalds. And when did you ever see the B&Q car park full? Maplin isn't exactly heaving, either. SBC should stick to their guns. The extra cash could rejuvenate the High Street, if only by making car parking free for a few years!

B and Q is usually packed at the weekends. On a bank holiday it's a no go zone.

Absolute rubbish about there being a McDonalds there. People go there as I do because either, they need an alternative to the town centre Argos, the need Staples or one of the discount shops. It has free parking unlike town centres and is therefore highly attractive. PC world has been almagated to the London Road retail park - not a town centre location. In fact the town centre one closed.

Comet closed as did almost every other comet store in the country - this is nothing to do with Southend.

The extra caseh won't be spent on Southend High Street and we all know it. It's like SBC council have given up on the High Street. If they hadn't they'd knock down some of the eyesore buildings, reduce parking charges for non-seafront car parks, attract businesses to The Victoria, etc etc etc

You beat me to it about PCWorld/Currys becoming one

and Comet going bust nationwide.

Some fools on here blamed Southend for the demise (on the High Street) of

TJ Hughes, Woolworths & Hawkins Bazaar

I kid you not!

southend needs another shopping district like hadleigh needs another shisha bar

The council should take their heads out of the sand and take a reality check, for the last twenty or so years the town has gone into decline and is in fact fast becoming a crap hole.

This council will do anything to get money to pay their bonus'. If enough 'incentive' payments are given I feel the council will change their minds ! It is legalised bribery. Anyone who thinks a Retail Park so far to the end of the town as Fossetts Farm is a good idea (and I am sure all those in shoebury would like it) are living in cloud cuckoo land. it would be easier to go in the other direction out of town. As for the Airport Retail park is is always very busy but I expect there is a hidden agenda there as well.......think about it.

jolllyboy wrote:
This council will do anything to get money to pay their bonus'. If enough 'incentive' payments are given I feel the council will change their minds ! It is legalised bribery. Anyone who thinks a Retail Park so far to the end of the town as Fossetts Farm is a good idea (and I am sure all those in shoebury would like it) are living in cloud cuckoo land. it would be easier to go in the other direction out of town. As for the Airport Retail park is is always very busy but I expect there is a hidden agenda there as well.......think about it.

Thinking about it... Still thinking about it... Erm...Er... Well apart form a successful retail park and a successful airport can't think of anything else.

Do tell what is this secret agenda you allude to, please tell do please tell pretty please with sugar and a cherry on top.

2 hours free parking in Southend car parks would make a diffference.
Sorry SBC - lost income
But revitalise the High street.
make your choice.
i for one will not go to Southend High street from Leigh when i can go to Bluewater for the day or even Lakeside and the retail park and park for free. Better choice and no stupid charges.
Another reason why i won't go to the Stratford site (westfield?) - parking charges.

Max Impact wrote:

jolllyboy wrote:
This council will do anything to get money to pay their bonus'. If enough 'incentive' payments are given I feel the council will change their minds ! It is legalised bribery. Anyone who thinks a Retail Park so far to the end of the town as Fossetts Farm is a good idea (and I am sure all those in shoebury would like it) are living in cloud cuckoo land. it would be easier to go in the other direction out of town. As for the Airport Retail park is is always very busy but I expect there is a hidden agenda there as well.......think about it.

Thinking about it... Still thinking about it... Erm...Er... Well apart form a successful retail park and a successful airport can't think of anything else.

Do tell what is this secret agenda you allude to, please tell do please tell pretty please with sugar and a cherry on top.

Still thinking...

Max Impact wrote:

Max Impact wrote:

jolllyboy wrote:
This council will do anything to get money to pay their bonus'. If enough 'incentive' payments are given I feel the council will change their minds ! It is legalised bribery. Anyone who thinks a Retail Park so far to the end of the town as Fossetts Farm is a good idea (and I am sure all those in shoebury would like it) are living in cloud cuckoo land. it would be easier to go in the other direction out of town. As for the Airport Retail park is is always very busy but I expect there is a hidden agenda there as well.......think about it.

Thinking about it... Still thinking about it... Erm...Er... Well apart form a successful retail park and a successful airport can't think of anything else.

Do tell what is this secret agenda you allude to, please tell do please tell pretty please with sugar and a cherry on top.

Still thinking...

Still thinking... Oh look free airport parking for two months... still thinking...

Anyone...

Max Impact wrote:

Max Impact wrote:

Max Impact wrote:

jolllyboy wrote:
This council will do anything to get money to pay their bonus'. If enough 'incentive' payments are given I feel the council will change their minds ! It is legalised bribery. Anyone who thinks a Retail Park so far to the end of the town as Fossetts Farm is a good idea (and I am sure all those in shoebury would like it) are living in cloud cuckoo land. it would be easier to go in the other direction out of town. As for the Airport Retail park is is always very busy but I expect there is a hidden agenda there as well.......think about it.

Thinking about it... Still thinking about it... Erm...Er... Well apart form a successful retail park and a successful airport can't think of anything else.

Do tell what is this secret agenda you allude to, please tell do please tell pretty please with sugar and a cherry on top.

Still thinking...

Still thinking... Oh look free airport parking for two months... still thinking...

Anyone...

Still thinking... Hello... Anyone... Hello...