Agenda item

Antonia Hollingsworth, Principal Business Investment Officer, explained that the borough had 29 shopping areas which ranged from town centre high streets to small parades and clusters of shops. High streets were currently facing a number of challenges, key ones being: the rise of internet shopping; the 31% increase in rateable values in 2010; multiple ownership of shopping areas, and; the relative ease of converting a shop to a residential property under national planning policies. Despite these challenges shopping areas in Hammersmith and Fulham were coping reasonably well. Vacancy rates for retail units across the borough were about average for London at just over 10%, although the rate on high streets was lower at about 8.5%.

Antonia Hollingsworth explained that the PAC had previously asked that officers do more to support North End and Bloemfontein Roads. She said that at North End Road officers had:

-       Supported the North End Road Action Group (NERAG)

-       Facilitated five traffic free markets

-       Ensured that its 8 retail units on the road were let.

The work of NERAG, with help from the council, had led to 600 new opportunities to trade, between 10-15,000 people visiting each market, and ‘trade for a tenner’ opportunities. A Business Improvement District proposal was being developed for Fulham, and this would include North End Road.

Turning to talk about Bloemfontein Road, Anntonia Hollingsworth explained that the council was in the fortunate position of owning the whole parade of 15 shops at Bloemfontein Road. 14 of the retail units were let, with the remaining shop currently under offer. A new supermarket had increased competition in the area, but shops had so far survived the impact well. The shop at 75 Bloemfontein Road was being used as a community hub which hosted both a foodbank and a CAB adviser; this was part of the council’s commitment to deliver social inclusion.

Mark Richardson, member of NERAG, explained that the group’s North End Road Market Facebook page had 1,400 followers and its online communications had reached 29,000 people in the last month. He said that reduced rate stalls such as ‘trade for a tenner’ had not been particularly successful, however, they were important schemes to encourage new businesses to join the market. There were a number of important issues still affecting North End Road which were: narrow pavements and traffic using the road during the market; insufficient parking for traders and shoppers; there being no public toilets on the street; the lack of power supplies and storage facilities for market traders, and; poor waste disposal arrangements. He said that North End Road had improved significantly over the past few years, but felt that solving some of these problems would be important in ensuring that it thrived as a high street.

A market trader said that parking for shoppers was the problem which most affected her business. Antonia Hollingsworth said that the parking on Coomer Place was designed for shoppers. The market trader said that Coomer Place was very helpful, but that there wasn’t enough parking in the area, especially during the residents only period between 2 and 4pm. Councillor Coleman, Cabinet Member for Commercial Revenue and Resident Satisfaction and Ward Councillor for Fulham Broadway, said that there was clearly an issue with the parking controls and that a consultation was planned for 2017. Unfortunately the consultation had been delayed from 2016 because consultations in other CPZs had been more complicated than originally expected. Councillor Andrew Jones, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration, explained that changes to the CPZ hours would require support from the community and said that it was vital that everyone responded to the consultation.

A resident asked if there had been a survey on how shoppers got to the market. Mark Richardson explained that the recent NERAG survey had not included transport, however most respondents had lived within walking distance of the market. A resident pointed out that it wasn’t always possible for those who lived nearby to walk to the market, as they might not be able to carry what they had bought. The Chair suggested that more research on this issue might be helpful.

A resident said that there was an issue with shops displaying goods on the pavement. Councillor Jones noted that on some parts of the street the shops owned a certain amount of land in front of their shops and so could legally trade there. There were very few controls the council could introduce to resolve this problem and felt that it would be best dealt with through a better relationship between shops, market traders and shoppers.

A market trader said that some types of market stalls had historical rights to trade, however, their businesses could be damaged by shops opening and selling the same products as them. Councillor Jones said that in the current lassez faire planning regime the council could not control, except by using broad use classes. Councillor Coleman explained that shops suffered a loss of trade when market stalls closed so there was scope for businesses to work together to support one another.

Sarah-Jane Johnson felt that some shops and traders needed to be more customer focussed, reducing queues and maybe doing demonstrations to attract more people to shop with them.

In response to questions Antonia Hollingsworth explained that a Business Improvement District (BID) was being proposed in Fulham. This was not being led by the council but officers and councillors were supportive of the proposal. Businesses would be given a vote on whether to create a BID which would levy a small amount of money from each shop and then spend it to improve the area.

A resident was concerned that one of the bus stops on North End Road had been closed for some time. Councillor Harcourt, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Residents Services, agreed to look into this.

A resident noted that the council wanted Hammersmith and Fulham to become the greenest borough in London and asked how this would affect North End Road. Councillor Jones said that the traffic free markets had reduced traffic in the area and he felt that restricting traffic, perhaps to buses only, might in the medium to long term be necessary. Facilities for cyclists and pedestrians needed to be improved as well. Councillor Harcourt said that there would be electric car club spaces introduced in the area as part of a new scheme to introduce 180 across the borough.

Councillor Jones said that the administration’s vision for North End Road was:

-       to have a thriving market which attracted shoppers to the street

-       to have improved the streetscape and infrastructure in North End Road, working with developers to achieve this

-       to have shops let more quickly by other landlords with the council using innovative approaches to do this.

There was general agreement that this vision was a good one, but it was felt that action on small issues was needed quickly to help achieve it. Councillor Jones said that some parts of the vision would take time to introduce, although where possible things would be done quickly; the parking consultation would take place in 2017 whilst work to reduce the vacancy rate through contacting landlords and applying vinyl to shopfronts etc had already started.

Councillor Connell asked what had been learned from Bloemfontein and North End Roads which could be applied to other areas. Councillor Jones said that having strategies for areas was important as was engaging stakeholders, including landlords. Making a shopping centre a destination, as the traffic free markets had done, was important to increasing trade. Antonia Hollingsworth said that the council had developed its business advice learning from the experience of shops at Bloemfontein Road.

Councillor Coleman asked that residents vote in the h&f Brilliant Business Awards before Sunday 6 November.