Winter sports bailout

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

We're going there!

There are some positive signs and possibly a good story coming out of the pandemic. Some councils (Trafford in Manchester and a couple of London boroughs for example) have used the lockdown to pedestrianise roads in their areas (and make cycle friendly) so that they've become more accessible and friendly. It's been a huge success.
High rents in town centres have also pushed people out of living on high streets and made them retail only zones, so many 'die' after shops close. Some councils are encouraging the building of flats and the coversion of shops to accomodation to encourage people back into high streets. This also breathes life back into the shops and offers opportunities for cafes and restaurants etc.
Rents are a huge issue but with the number of companies going to the wall during the pandemic rents have to reduce and this will encourage smaller businesses who wouldn't have been able to open with the old rent structure.

Unfortunately it will take a lot of businesses to go to the wall before the rents will reduce. So many retail units are owned by massive investment companies and pension schemes nowadays that it makes very little difference when a few retail units sit empty.

Sad but true.

The future of the high street surely lies predominantly in the entertainment and hospitality sector.  Retail is dying, if not already dead, when it comes to the high street.  So many factors, all listed above, have contributed to it.  It's sad but it's part of evolution.  Local councils need to get on board with the situation and ensure that the high street has a future, even if it's not in the traditional retail sense.

Pedestrianisation is a good suggestion. Of course it requires sufficient and nearby parking and/or good transport links.  

Locally (and this is only going off the observations of my own eyes), St. Peters Avenue seems to be doing ok still but it has a mix of options down there, from retail to hospitality.  It also has enough natural footfall from nearby residential areas and the sea front itself.   Freshney Place and Victoria Street surely needs a complete and utter rethink.  I last went into Freshney Place about a year ago and it was dead then.  I'd be amazed if it hasn't lost more retailers during the last year.  

Pie in the sky maybe but the best thing for that would be to use Freshney Place as a hosting place for some sort of entertainment complex with the surrounding High Street areas trying to capture those spilling out.  I suppose a smaller version of Xscape.  Otherwise I can't imagine it surviving much longer than a few years.  

They say we have to get used to the new normal.

We have to move with the times like pedestrian city centres.

Well I got one hate going shopping , as been said before queuing to get into town finding a parking spot ( not always easy ) then queuing to pay.

I use Amazon a lot , a easy look on my tablet click what. I want and most times it's delivered to my home next day.

It's the future , we lost the fishing others lost the mines other work was found and so will the small shops who might disappear .

Supermarkets will expand into super stores and large shops will diverse to fit into what is required at the time.

Quoted from Posh Harry

Unfortunately it will take a lot of businesses to go to the wall before the rents will reduce. So many retail units are owned by massive investment companies and pension schemes nowadays that it makes very little difference when a few retail units sit empty.

Sad but true.

But those institutional investors need tenants to keep the income flowing. Without it their value takes a hit. And with it our pensions.

Smart investors will look at alternatives. Some will pull out and find some other asset class and others will redevelop their properties.

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

We're going there!

There are some positive signs and possibly a good story coming out of the pandemic. Some councils (Trafford in Manchester and a couple of London boroughs for example) have used the lockdown to pedestrianise roads in their areas (and make cycle friendly) so that they've become more accessible and friendly. It's been a huge success.
High rents in town centres have also pushed people out of living on high streets and made them retail only zones, so many 'die' after shops close. Some councils are encouraging the building of flats and the coversion of shops to accomodation to encourage people back into high streets. This also breathes life back into the shops and offers opportunities for cafes and restaurants etc.
Rents are a huge issue but with the number of companies going to the wall during the pandemic rents have to reduce and this will encourage smaller businesses who wouldn't have been able to open with the old rent structure.

We should be looking for the positives in all this. Take the opportunity to build back better. And there are some good examples as you say.

Maybe in some cases a return to the old model of people living above the ‘workshop’ is part of the solution. Covid has made people realise that they can work from home, but many don’t have space that they can work in effectively. If we can enable more people to do that then there would be less commuting going on.

As you say, populating the high street brings footfall and after hours life.