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Leading Councillor Says High Street Situation ‘Likely to Result in Radical Rethink’
Published on: 10 Aug, 2018
Updated on: 12 Aug, 2018
A leading borough councillor has said that: “The House of Fraser situation is yet another indicator that the whole retail experience is undergoing fundamental change… It is likely to result in a radical re-think.”
Cllr Geoff Davis
Cllr Geoff Davis (Con, Holy Trinity), who has over 50 years of experience in commercial property, 45 of those in Guildford, said: “I am glad Guildford’s House of Fraser has been saved, and the whole group. Clearly, the trading style will change.
“Whether there will now be any link to Debenhams – where Mike Ashley’s company [Sports Direct] has a 30% holding will also remain to be seen. GBC owns the freehold reversion of Debenhams, currently let to M & G and underlet to Debenhams.
“The House of Fraser situation is yet another indicator that the whole retail experience is undergoing fundamental change with a number of pressures accumulating.
“GBC has recognised this, and it has been the subject of recent intensive discussions with M & G on North Street.
“It is likely to result in a radical re-think.
“The planning inspector commented significantly in the recent Local Plan inquiry on this subject as well.”
More reaction
Amanda Masters, general manager at Experience Guildford.
Amanda Masters the general manager of Experience Guildford which promotes the Guildford business sector said: “Retail is cyclical and traders have learnt to adapt and evolve to survive in the past, but we are aware that it is a particularly tough time at the moment.
“The BID [Business Improvement District] industry is lobbying central government to review the rates system. We acknowledge the current system is outdated and unfair to retailers who occupy premises on our High Streets. Online retailers pay only a fraction of the rates paid by the likes of House of Fraser.
“Recent retail stories may prompt the council and developers to look closely at the proposed usage for the North Street development. Do we need more retail space? Would a hotel giving the much-needed bed space in central Guildford be a better option?”
“While there are worrying stories out there currently, there are also many success stories. Retailers still want to come to Guildford and the independent traders are stronger than ever. We are thrilled to see the return of the much loved independent Moffatt’s returning to the town centre.”
Gordon Bridger
Hon Alderman Gordon Bridger, a former Mayor of Guildford who, with many others, has questioned Guildford Borough Council’s approach to town centre planning, and in particular proposals to significantly increase retail floor space in the town as part of the North Street redevelopment, said:”
“It is sad to hear the situation of one of our great shopping icons, the House of Fraser. We are all to blame as we now spend more on internet shopping which is more efficient and usually cheaper than retail outlets.
“High street retailers do suffer from unfair tax and rates burdens but relaxing them is unlikely to make much difference and would only postpone inevitable changes.
“However, purchase of the House of Fraser by Sports Direct, who are currently in Debenhams, suggests that they have done so in order to move to a cheaper and more central location.
“This, one would assume, might terminate any hopes of Debenhams continuing as retail but it could be converted to residential. This would be a very good change.
“Presumably, this retail “earthquake” will, at long last, awaken those who plan our town centre future that the proposals to expand retail development by 40% as in the new town plan must be abandoned.
“What we should look forward to is a large increase in housing in the town centre, instead of shopping, but housing which is in scale and character with the town’s historic core – not high rise solutions as in Woking.
“The planning inspector was highly critical of the council’s town centre plan and was “appalled” at the development away from the historic High Street. This change now enables them to come forward with a genuinely mixed town centre which combines private as well as public space.”
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Responses to Leading Councillor Says High Street Situation ‘Likely to Result in Radical Rethink’
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Valerie Thompson
August 10, 2018 at 5:53 pm
Let’s hope that GBC has a radical re-think on developing North Street as a mainly residential area, perhaps with ground level shops with flats over, and will not continue with its grandiose plans for a new retail mall in that area.
Perhaps they will also re-consider their stated aim of developing brownfield sites in the town centre first, which they seem to have forgotten about, while plotting to remove many villages from the green belt in order to build excessive numbers of houses where people will have to clog up the roads while commuting.
Jules Cranwell
August 10, 2018 at 7:42 pm
More investment in retail space by GBC, against national and global trends. How do they think this will end?
Someone tell them there’s a thing called the Interweb, and you can buy anything you want on it, and get it delivered to your door.
Anyway, the A3 is a parking lot, and the infrastructure is a disincentive to go anywhere near the High Street.
Will GBC please now wake up and smell the coffee, and scrap its ruinous Local Plan?
Jim Allen
August 10, 2018 at 7:57 pm
Actually the ‘rethink’ was order by the Local Plan Examiner Last month.
Susan Parker
August 11, 2018 at 8:10 am
During the Local Plan Examination in Public some of us commented that the North Street proposals have not been subject to formal public consultation and the nature of retail is such that we should not be reserving so much of our urban brownfield for retail and office space.
The inspector has directed that there should be some changes, which we will see with interest. There will be a public consultation during September on the revisions, and the public can comment further then.
Susan Parker is the leader of the Guildford Greenbelt Group and a borough councillor for Send.
Chris Glover
August 12, 2018 at 9:04 am
Perhaps GBC could take an away day trip to Woking where they have in town housing cheap parking and a developing busy town centre.
I hardly ever pop into Guildford now much easier and interesting shopping there. Will Woking be Surrey’s new county town?
Mike Murphy
August 13, 2018 at 11:55 am
Yet again Cllrs Spooner and Furniss have got it wrong. Even the Local Plan Inspector has said he was appalled at their plans for Guildford Town Centre.
The dreadful, badly led GBC want to build all over our precious green belt and leave the Guildford like a ghost town. They should and probably will have to start looking at brownfield sites, Building on the Green Belt was expressly promised not to happen in the Conservatives manifesto but, true to form, they have broken their promises.
How many more disasters will have to happen before they wake up and smell the coffee.