GJ
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1#
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Rank:none
Score:143
Posts:143
Registered:02/07/2001
Time spent: 0 hours
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:08/09/2008 05:56:14)
On the High St itself there are too many charity stores and cheap shops selling tat. Of course we don't want to go too far in the opposite direction and have every high street chain opening and loosing some of the character but a happy medium would be good.
Hopefully, in the Opus2 development in The Old Town they will be a selection of new interesting retail outlets.
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Guest
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:09/09/2008 04:59:51)
I have to say I think the Councillor is misguided - the quality of shops on Clapham High Street is shocking - a recent visit to Balham High Street highlighted this to me. The shops on our High Street are either supermarkets or pound shops and this does not constitute good retail service. I don't bother shopping there anymore but it's shame I have to take my business to other boroughs.
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Philski
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3#
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Rank:none
Score:53
Posts:53
Registered:19/03/2002
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:09/09/2008 05:49:00)
Depends what you mean by 'quality'.
I can safely say that the only places on the high street that I spend any money at are Sainsbury's and Apex Cycles. Racking my brain for more. Nope, that's it. Having said that, I can't think of any types of shops that I would like to see; they would have to compete with the likes of Selfridges, and the variety that the rest of the West End has to offer, and that's not going to happen.
If anything, a profile more like Northcote Road would lend a less shabby feel to the high street - a few oofy independent shops, with owners who have an interest in keeping their premises as attractive as possible. The problem is that Clapham High Street's catchment area is, dare I say, somewhat less well-heeled than that of Northcote Road.
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Guest
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:10/09/2008 10:57:13)
Not sure it's about the catchment area - it's more about the council's approach - note Clapham High Street in Lambeth and Northcote Road in Wandworth. However Esca the fab deli on CHS is a notable exception.
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notion
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5#
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Rank:none
Score:49
Posts:49
Registered:23/08/2001
Time spent: 7628 hours
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:17/09/2008 06:14:05)
What kind of shops are you looking for? There has been a large increase in clothing shops in recent years, is that the type of shop you mean?
I use the excellent health food shop and the pet shop. And I'm really glad that I have a local charity shop for animal welfare (Paws) where I can donate my unwanted items. If I have bike problems I have two shops to choose from.
We have a diverse population with diverse needs. Not everyone can afford 'quality' shops, what we do need though are shops that are useful - the loss of the painting and decorating shop (what was it called?) was a big shame.
I'd be really interested to know type of thing you mean. Thanks.
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Guest
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:18/09/2008 08:29:21)
I think all of your sentiments about Clapham High Street are valid. The problem is partly to do with the difference in approache between Wandsworth and Lambeth Councils towards the type and quality of shops that are encouraged. Fact is that over the last decade Wandsworth has engineered a major change in its ppopulation profile by encouraging large numbers of families in the upper socio-economic profile strata to settle in the borough. This was followed by intensive commercialisation of the areas to meet the need of its increasingly well heeled population. A recent case study of the gentrification of the Northcote/Battersea/Balham area showed that new high-end schools, shops and restaurants were encouraged and incentifed to set up in the area to serve the needs of the incoming wealthy folk of bankers, lawyers and yummy mummies. The result is that smaller independent shops have been squeezed out including pound and charity shops by high rates and discontinuation of leases. The bulk of the shops and restaurants on northcote road and lavender hill and increasingly in Balham were and are not meant to serve the hoi polloi native population of those areas most of whom cannot afford to shop or eat in them and are confined to whatever is left off the tiny strip of traditional retail space between Clapham Junction and Batttersea rise where Waitrose will now be located. Many of Wandsworth's original working class residents have since been shipped off (re-housed) to places like Thornton Heath and Croydon or to nerby Tooting.
Clapham High Street (and Clapham in general) has developed organically with little or no help from the local council as is the case with most areas in Lambeth. This means hit and miss in terms of what and who sets up shop. Lambeth council appears to have a policy of encouraging local entrpreneurship which accounts for the large number of barbers, computer repair shops, internet cafe's and mini cab shops in the area. Not sure whether this is a good or bad thing. As for the many pound and charity shops, this is a legacy of Clapham's not-so-salubrious past and of the fact that a large number of Claphamites are young and transient students and graduates living in shared accomodation off the high street who need those services. This also accounts for the posher shops are in Clapham Old town and Abbeville where the demographic profile is more up market and similar to Wandsworth again all of this has developed organically. The question is whether Lambeth should or can afford to adopt a similar approach to Wandsworth. Also can shops on Clapham High street be made to clean up their act and look cleaner and more up market instead of the shabby chic we are forced to live with? and can more up market businesses be persuaded to set up on the high street?
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Guest
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:18/09/2008 08:37:30)
I think Lambeth council and its councillors are so unprogressive, inflexible and pursue an intensely left wing anti-poverty agenda that seems to focus on using all its resources to serve disadvantage. Wealthier areas like Clapham tend to lose out. They should change but I won't be voting for them again!
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Guest
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:18/09/2008 09:44:11)
We need Lambeth council and the cheap shopkeepers on Clapham High Street to clean up their act and keep the area looking tidy and presentable. A lick of paint would help, as will cleaner pavements. The council should enforce this on shop keeprs rather than condone and encourage this shabbyness. other boroughs enforce shop owners to refurbish and clan up their surroundings. Time Out's recent publications 'London for Londoners' counts Clapham and Islington as Very up and come rather than up and coming areas. But Labeth as a whole suffers fromlack of quality retail destinations. Im not sure that our councillors are interested in bringing good businesses to the area beyond encouraging sale of cheap tat. They dont seem to have a busienss development plan of any sort for clapham or anywwhere else Lambeth.
The shops on Clapham High Street are not all downmarket however. The street and Clapham as a whole is considered to be very trendy however it is not a retail destination. It is more of an eating and drinking place and is more Portobello Road (without the antique shops and tourists) than Northcote road.
Incidentally, Clapham has been tagged London's No. 2 'Pose Code' after Notting Hill by the Daily Telegraph in terms of trendies and fashionistas who come to be seen there. So perhaps its this mix of shabby chic, urban edge and trendy cool that makes the high street unique and attractive. Strange!
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Philski
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9#
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Rank:none
Score:53
Posts:53
Registered:19/03/2002
Time spent: 0 hours
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:28/10/2008 10:37:44)
Aside from everything above, does anyone know who owns the two
properties on the Pavement, one Moxon's former shop, and Kelly's Diner
next to it? They're practically derelict and a real eyesore. I notice
that the former Alteration Station and Unwins (at the roundabout where
North St, Old Town and Rectory Grove meet) are still empty too, and
have been for some time now.
Are they privately owned? Is there no demand at all, or are rents prohibitively high? If so, surely some rent must be better than none? Some
of these have been empty for over two years!! On the other hand, if
they are owned by Lambeth Council, then why aren't they working harder
to generate some income from these properties?
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notion
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10#
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Rank:none
Score:49
Posts:49
Registered:23/08/2001
Time spent: 7628 hours
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:28/10/2008 11:22:54)
The derelict shops by Moxon's (sic?) and kelly's are owned by Moens (is that right?) the butchers. I enquired in an off-hand way a couple of years ago about renting, but it was a pretty definite 'nope'.
I could never quite get my head around how it actually pays to leave property empty, I'm not sure if its something to do with tax perhaps? <script src="http://shots.snap.com//client/inject.js?site_name=0" type="text/javascript"></script>
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Philski
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11#
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Rank:none
Score:53
Posts:53
Registered:19/03/2002
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:29/10/2008 08:09:06)
Yeah, sorry - I meant Moen's.  I think it's scandalous that they can just sit on a vacant properties like that, without the slightest responsibility for keeping them from disintegrating, as they appear to be now. What reason did they give for not wanting to rent out the properties, do you remember?  I can't imagine that it might be a tax dodge, could it?  Like I said before, surely getting regular rent must be better than not...  sod it, I'm going to ring them up.
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Philski
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12#
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Score:53
Posts:53
Registered:19/03/2002
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:29/10/2008 08:18:10)
Well, apparently Moen's don't own the properties, but they are in private hands. Â It seems that the landlord has been applying for planning permission to develop flats on the site, but has been refused for five years now. Â So he's thrown his toys out of the pram and left them to fall down.
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notion
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13#
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Rank:none
Score:49
Posts:49
Registered:23/08/2001
Time spent: 7628 hours
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:29/10/2008 11:23:54)
well done Philski, sorry got it wrong. It does seem bizzare though.
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Philski
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14#
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Rank:none
Score:53
Posts:53
Registered:19/03/2002
Time spent: 0 hours
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:29/10/2008 14:00:15)
I'm going to phone the council tomorrow and ask if something can be done, force the landlord's hand or something. I'm pissed off that some greedy property developer, or whatever, is spoiling the heart of Clapham because they can't get their own way.
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Philski
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15#
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Rank:none
Score:53
Posts:53
Registered:19/03/2002
Time spent: 0 hours
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:31/10/2008 05:57:05)
I received the following reply from Lambeth Council this morning: "Thank you for your email enquiry in relation to the properties at No.s 18-19 The Pavement, London, SW4 0HY.
Â
The properties at No.s 18-19 The Pavement did have an application submitted in 2002 for the redevelopment of site involving the erection of a part 3/5 storey building with basement containing commercial (A1/A2/A3) on basement and ground floors and 6 self contained flats on upper floors, which was refused in January 2003. The application was appealed by the applicant and dismissed. Since this time we have had a similar application submitted which was then withdrawn by the applicant.Â
 The Local Planning Authority has no records of the current status of properties throughout the borough, furthermore the Council has no powers to force a land owner to rent or sell a property, the choice is the land owners if they wish for the property to be vacant rather than utilised. The policies within our Unitary Development Plan (2007) promote active shop frontages and viable local and town centres, however we cannot encourage these objectives unless the land owner chooses to submit a planning application on the subject site." So, it would appear that the council has no powers whatsoever to do anything about derelict retail properties at somewhere as central as The Pavement.  Hmph.
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notion
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16#
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Rank:none
Score:49
Posts:49
Registered:23/08/2001
Time spent: 7628 hours
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:31/10/2008 06:18:35)
Well done for finding that out.
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Philski
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17#
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Rank:none
Score:53
Posts:53
Registered:19/03/2002
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:01/11/2008 05:27:23)
Oh, and by the way - there is a notice in the window of the former Alteration Station saying that an application for planning permission is in progress to turn it into a bar. So that'll be a novelty.
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Guest
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:02/11/2008 00:11:34)
Why bar? Aren't there more worthwhile causes, a nice retail shop/ restaurant or coffee shop will do, instead of a stupid bar, no wonder clapham is littered with inebriated folk
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Guest
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:10/11/2008 12:00:06)
The Alteration station has been taken by the Thresher Group who plan to open a Wine Rack off license there. One of the best independent shops in clapham is 'Wines of the World' opposite the Frog and Forget me not, it seems Threshers want a slice of the action.
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Guest
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:10/11/2008 13:33:01)
My god what would Clapham do without all the bar restaurants and now off licences.
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Guest
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:10/11/2008 16:08:41)
Well this is South london's premier watering hole and it seems that the alcohol industry wants to keep it that way, just look at all the professional alkies that buzz around Clapham high street like flies on shit and you'll understand what i mean!
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Guest
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:11/11/2008 02:34:14)
Just to continue the theme - on the site that used to be Morel on Clapham Park Road there is a planning notice applying for a late license for a bar with dancing...
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Steve_H
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23#
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Rank:none
Score:39
Posts:39
Registered:13/07/2002
Time spent: 3865 hours
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:17/11/2008 08:50:22)
Following on from the last post, the planning application for alterations to the premises has gone through, but the licensing application is still open for comment from the public until the start of December. See below, under the application for 'CPR Bar'. It seems like it may be open pretty late most nights; I will comment as I only live a stone's throw away.
http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/Business/LicencesStreetTrading/PendingApplications.htm
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Steve
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Guest
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Reply To Philski
(Date Posted:18/11/2008 10:34:33)
Reply to Philski (31/10/2008 07:57:05)
I received the following reply from Lambeth Council this morning:
"Thank you for your email enquiry in relation to the properties at No.s 18-19 The Pavement, London, SW4 0HY.
The properties at No.s 18-19 The Pavement did have an application submitted in 2002 for the redevelopment of site involving the erection of a part 3/5 storey building with basement containing commercial (A1/A2/A3) on basement and ground floors and 6 self contained flats on upper floors, which was refused in January 2003. The application was appealed by the applicant and dismissed. Since this time we have had a similar application submitted which was then withdrawn by the applicant.
The Local Planning Authority has no records of the current status of properties throughout the borough, furthermore the Council has no powers to force a land owner to rent or sell a property, the choice is the land owners if they wish for the property to be vacant rather than utilised. The policies within our Unitary Development Plan (2007) promote active shop frontages and viable local and town centres, however we cannot encourage these objectives unless the land owner chooses to submit a planning application on the subject site."
So, it would appear that the council has no powers whatsoever to do anything about derelict retail properties at somewhere as central as The Pavement. Hmph.
The Council should fence of the eysore, i'm suprised the other shops havent asked for this already.
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Philski
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25#
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Rank:none
Score:53
Posts:53
Registered:19/03/2002
Time spent: 0 hours
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Reply To Steve%5FH
(Date Posted:18/11/2008 15:41:34)
Reply to Steve_H (17/11/2008 14:50:22)
I will comment as I only live a stone's throw away.
So Steve, are you back from your jaunt around the south Pacific then?!
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Steve_H
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26#
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Rank:none
Score:39
Posts:39
Registered:13/07/2002
Time spent: 3865 hours
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:19/11/2008 15:23:42)
Wrong Steve, I'm afraid!
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Steve
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Guest
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Reply To Guest
(Date Posted:03/02/2009 12:07:42)
Reply to is_Aimoo_Guest (18/09/2008 08:37:30)
This comment hits the nail on the head unfortunatley
I think Lambeth council and its councillors are so unprogressive, inflexible and pursue an intensely left wing anti-poverty agenda that seems to focus on using all its resources to serve disadvantage. Wealthier areas like Clapham tend to lose out. They should change but I won't be voting for them again!
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Guest
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Re:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:03/02/2009 12:12:44)
This Old ruin next to the estate agents should be boarded up by the council. If i had a shop along the pavement I would have demanded the council board it up completly
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Guest
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RE:Quality shopping options in Clapham
(Date Posted:08/02/2009 14:24:19)
Perhaps we should petition our so called councillors. It seems Lambeth's council's only interest are the council tenants on its estates, everyone else in Clapham is overlooked or made to feel like an intruder. Yet huge profits continue to be reaped from Clapham's entertainment economy. Clapham's left wing councillors continue to do nothing about the aesthetics of the area but i guess they must be resentful of the well heeled incomers and wary of the visitors. I'm not sure the Tories or Lib Dems will do any better, Clapham was certainly shabbier and dirtier under them. It is a lot tidier now.
As per shopping options - Lambeth Council has no economic strategy for the borough so to speak so don't expect anything to change
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