Retail expert Mary Portas visited Margate today (Tuesday 27 September)
as part of a major independent review of England’s High Streets.
The original seaside town is one of only a handful of areas to feature
in this high profile national review, which has been commissioned by the
Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister as part of a plan to halt the
decline of the High Street.
Mary Portas, who stars in the popular Mary Queen of Shops and Secret
Shopper, has been on a tour of the town and has spoken directly to high
street businesses, local shoppers and the council on her visit. This
visit will examine how Margate is addressing changing retail habits
which have seen national town centre vacancy rates double over the last
two years. The trip to Margate follows earlier visits by Ms Portas to
the towns of Rugby and Sparkbrook.
Mary Portas said: "We have had a fantastic response to the review so
far and received a huge number of ideas. I am actively encouraging
everyone who cares about the future of the high street to have their
say. I am working through all the ideas in the many contributions
received and listening to key stakeholders including big and small
retailers. Margate is a town that has had it tougher than any other high
street in the country but it is also a great example of one that is
fighting back and I want to draw on this spirit and the creativity of
those involved. With town centre vacancy rates in England doubling over
the last two years, the need to take action to save high streets like
Margate has never been starker.”
The review is being carried out for the Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills, the aim being to identify what government, local
authorities and businesses can do to promote the development of more
prosperous and diverse High Streets.
Business Minister Edward Davey said: "The High Street should be at the
heart of every community, bringing people together, providing essential
services and creating jobs and investment. So I am delighted that Mary
Portas is visiting Margate in Kent today. Mary’s review will look into
many important areas including how we can adopt new business models for
the high street that fit the needs of the modern shopper and how we
increase the number of small and independent retailers doing business in
local town centres. I am looking forward to seeing Mary’s final
report.”
Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr. Bob Bayford, said: “I’m
delighted that Mary has decided to visit Margate as part of this review.
Nationally the face of retail in our town centres is changing and we
need to do everything we can to address that. Here in Margate we have an
interesting story to tell. At a time when shop vacancy rates are
increasing, and our own high street has suffered, we’ve seen Margate
Old Town flourish with over 35 new businesses, all unique, setting up in
the last 18 months alone. Much of that is down to the Turner effect and
it’s something we’re keen to encourage, as unique boutique shopping
gives visitors one more reason to come to the town. We don’t want
Margate to just be another “clone town”. We’ve been talking to
Mary about how more can be done to encourage independent retailers and
what support we feel Margate needs. I look forward to seeing that being
taken forward at a national level.”
Mary Portas will present the review to the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime
Minister and Edward Davey, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for
the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), by autumn
2011.
Tuesday 27 September 2011
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Its great to have someone trying to help Margate. I am a business owner in Northdown rd cliftonville and would love to be part of such a well publisised national compain as i believe it is more than one street that makes an area a thriving success. I feel it a shame they are only branding this as to help high streets when really it is the whole area as one that will need advise and support to make Margate a success again. I have a nice shop in Northdown road that has with alot of work started to develop into a profitable business. It has been known that the shops in Margate get offered any grants on offer first and many new business entreperneirs take advantage of this with no plans of running a long term business. This is in my view the Turner effect, they seem to be starting and running business like works of art. A bit of paint on a canvas display it with people commenting on how much they like it or not and if it doesnt sell just paint it over and start again. For the area to improve I feel we should start with accomadation that is not newly built but a running business at the present time and tidying up the local area. I have many couples visiting my shop on coach holidays staying at hotels in Cliftonville where they have previosly stayed many years ago. They are all shocked at the state of Cliftonville, as Cliftonvilles Northdown road used to be a upperclass shopping area. Many local people have forgotten this. This was back then because of all the hotels in the area and the holiday makers with the spending money in their pockets. They then venturing into Margate, so then they have a double blow of disappointment. I have started directing people to Broadstairs for days out now if visiting. As after their visit to the Turner centre and the use of the cafe on site they find not much more than other places to eat and drink in Margate. Why did they put a cafe in there ? and im not knocking all the lovely places in Margate but sticking up for them but I must admit I am worrying that there are overtaking the area with so many in such a small area. Easy money is always made from food if the demand is there, but when its not they are easy to close the business as they do not have stock to sell as a retailer. Please take a lesson from Northdown road and look how many take away shops are in one street and dont allow this to happen to Margate.
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