4:10pm Thursday 9th July 2009
By Oliver Evans
EDEN has a higher rate of empty businesses than the High Street, a council officer said last night.
David Dewar said an April study found 22 per cent of the length of Eden fronts are not being used.
This was compared to 14 per cent from a January study of the High Street. He said the two were comparable.
Overall, 14 per cent of business frontages are empty, he said. This includes other areas of the town centre.
Mr Dewar, a planning policy officer, said the figure was “probably higher than Eden would have hoped for but I think it is a natural effect of the economic problems we have experienced nationally”.
He added: “I am sure that will resolve itself over the coming months as the economy improves.”
Eden centre director Daniel Tomkinson said: “Since the opening of Eden in March 2008 High Wycombe has moved into the top 50 retail destinations in the UK, which is a great story for the town.
“Over the summer there will be a number of new exciting store openings and we’ll be sharing details of these soon.
“We also have a number of other retailers interested in Eden and we’re confident that we’ll be celebrating even more new openings in the coming year that will add to our great current retail offer of over 95 stores.”
It comes after reports that High Wycombe has among the highest rates of empty shops in the UK (see links, bottom of story).
Mr Dewar said of the High Street rate of empty properties: “It is fair to say that is high and that has possibly risen even more since then.
“It is fair to say this is partly, and only partly, down to the new shopping centre opening.”
Shops had moved into Eden, he said, and the recession had made matters worse.
And he said high rents has “caused a lot of problems for operators and businesses” while handover times between new tenants were taking too long.
Yet he said the council was looking at revising policies on the appearance on frontages and “trying to generate a number of major events” to help trade.
To see the full plans click here (pdf, 12.3mb)
The council wanted to “create an evening economy” in the High Street by demanding only 50 per cent of properties are shops with more pubs, cafes and firms, he added.
This would be set at 80 per cent shops in Eden.
White Hart Street, Queen Square and Church Street would benefit from plans to let property owners allow change use of the building without WDC permission.
All the plans – out to consultation - would “protect and revitalise the town centre” he said.
The following meetings are also taking place on other proposals in the “Wycombe Development Framework”:
M40 Gateway Monday 13 July 7-9pm. Amersham & Wycombe College, Flackwell Heath Campus.
Desborough Area (exhibition) Wednesday 15 July 2-8pm. Green Street Youth & Community Centre, High Wycombe.
Sustainability Thursday 16 July 7-9pm. John Hampden School, High Wycombe.
Respond to WDF Consultation, Planning Policy Team, Wycombe District Council, Freepost HY120, Planning and Sustainability WDC 63, Queen Victoria Road, High Wycombe, HP11 1BB. Email spatial_planning@wycombe.gov.uk.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/trade_directory/