Tell us about your high streets

I prefer to visit shops, but as I don't drive I occasionally shop online for bulky items that are difficult to carry.

I visit Willlesden High Road, which is withn easy walking distance, and also Cricklewood Broadway, but am put off these places if there is a lot if traffic, and traffic fumes. This can be more noticeable in the High Road because it is quite a narrow road.

It is good that there are still independent shops such as coffee places that are a big improvement on the usual chains. The staff and owners of independent shops take more pride in their establishments, and are more interested in the customers. In the absence of the larger commercial interests small local initiatives such as shops that avoid the use of plastic packaging, and small farmer's markets may become successful.

A local Library centre is an asset for the community, we need more places like this in London.

In summary, I agree with everything Tim Webb has to say.

Social media groups in my area (Redbridge) go on and on about parking restrictions on the high street, so I have found it a breath of fresh air to hear all the comments here in support of car free high streets. I am really put off my local shops and town centre because of the cars parked directly outside shops. We have such great public transport in the whole of London that (unless disabled) there are very few journeys that require a car. For weekly shops and bigger items then there are car parks. A no cars on the high street policy would attract my vote for mayor.

There are economic principles that lead to similar businesses congregating together so I don't have an immediate solution to the hig street clusters of betting shops, mobile phone unlocking shops, cash loan establishments, and fried chicken shops. There may be something in varying business rates to penalise certain categories of enterprise and more favourable terms for others, e.g. independent and artisanal enterprises.

As others have said, the future of the high street is not just about shops. I visit to go to the gym, pubs, and restaurants. I use the shops because I am passing by to go to the others. Cultural activity needs to be encouraged. If the council had a theme (parade, exhibition, competition) every week on different days along car free high streets, people would flock to the area and visit shops and restaurants as a by product. Keeping the area alive at night is also important so encourage late night opening and live music venues.

Most people would seem to agree that there needs to be zero tolerance on litter. Less is said about other forms of anti-social behaviour because we start to get into complex areas. However, lets be factual. People do not visit areas where they are likely to meet beggars, homeless campers, and chuggers. Lastly, not too many police please but some visibility at least.

My high street has a fantastic 33 meter swimming pool 4 m deep and Peter John / Sadiq Khan want to replace it with 25 meters of prefabricated rubbish on top of a train line!
Also they want to give British Land PLC 35 million pounds for this when refurbishing OUR leisure centre at Seven Islands would cost only 8 million.
Sadiq has waved all this through (Canada Water Masterplan), he is not even going to check it! I mean isn't that a "back pocket" job?

Disgusting!

I would use the local high street shops more and be very happy to walk to them for the exercise, if all sources of air pollution were dealt with - and that includes smokers and vapers.

My local High Street, Orpington, has deteriorated over the years especially since it was refurbished!  The pavements were made wider in certain areas to the detriment of bus routes.  Buses find it difficult to navigate along the High Street as parking of cars is bad; both from the point of view of the drivers inability to park efficiently and correctly and the narrowing of the road itself.  Crossing the road causes major havoc as there are far too many places where people cross without any regard for the traffic.  The pavements have been relaid in such a way that, in wet weather, the puddles are worse than before they were relaid and are even more uneven than before!  The Local Council believes that the work carried out was fine but no one from the Council visits the High Street in wet weather so there is something dramatically wrong there.  The High Street is often busy especially on a Saturday when the scenes are more chaotic than ever.

High streets are very important and are much nicer with independant shops and cafes.Unfortunately rates and rents make it unaffordable for many small businesses and the horrible Chain Giants  and Estate agents move in.High streets need useful shops-bakers,greengrocers,ironmongers,cafes,bookshops,banks,post office,pharmacy,florist,gift shop,deli's,grocers etc etc.

Too much traffic and busy roads also make shopping unpleasant-we need to prioritise pedestrians!!

If the walk to local shops was a more pleasant experience for Londoners-then I think more people would be inclined to go-at the moment walking is often unpleasant due to too much traffic,too much litter and not enough green space.Parking(although walking should be encouraged at all costs)  is often very confusing or expensive-putting people off-it's much easier to drive to a Retail Park or a large supermarket where parking is free!!

High Streets that are car free ie Croydon are successful and all high Sts must be car free too many deaths have happened in Peckham due to buses and traffic it is insane to have bus stops in the street when there is a bus garage 2 minuets walk away all busses should route via the garage and all other traffic should be routed around the shopping areas

The improvement of my high street is limited by various considerations such as the fact that it constitutes a transport thoroughfare and is of a certain width. As it is, it offers a fair mix of one supermarket and lots of small shops and traders. In recent years, however, it has lost a couple of banks, to the inconvenience of their clients. I don't think I could do much to improve it if I were in charge except to organise a general tidying up of the shop-fronts.

I live at the Elephant and Castle and we don't have a high street, we haven't had one for about 55 years when planners built the terrible, never fully let, third rate, smelly shopping centre and forced our wonderful high street, London Road, to close.To undertake shopping I have to travel, sometimes lengthy, distances. I can get a train from Waterloo and almost any stop I get off at has a high street. Why have we been let down like this. The area is soon to be regenerated and I can only live in hope that things will improve. We have gone from being the Piccidilly of the south to a shameful dump! Thanks Southwark Council and planners, the LCC I think!!!!!

I use my local 'high street' daily. I meet neighbours, catch up with all the latest local news for my neighbourhood and, except for an independent butcher's, have very shop/facility I need, within a 5-minute walk of where I live.

I would like to see less litter (SO ugly), fewer cars (reduce local air pollution), and no betting shop (attracts street drinkers & ASB).

I would like to see more greening & street art (murals & statues).

The main reason for me for not visiting my local high street is the cost and availability of parking spaces. Also, the shops sell very low quality products and the range of shops is very limited. The haberdashery, which was the really useful shop around and still better than online ones, has recently closed down. There is a redundant amount of estate agents, charity shops, sad looking cafes, turkish shops and the usual chain ones. There is no atmosphere, there's lots of traffic and it doesn't even feel that safe, particularly after dark. 

High streets were and should be the centres of our communities. Many are now unfriendly spaces. We need to reconnect communities with their high streets and reconnect the high streets with the wider surrounding areas, to make them easier, and more attractive, to visit.

High streets need a purpose beyond shopping and should be centres of culture, heritage, information, support and enterprise. They must act as gateways to local assets such as parks, allotments and other public spaces. The street should be car free, allowing people to move freely around and it should be adaptable for multiple uses from markets to outdoor cinemas. High Streets must offer visitors an experience which varies from week to week, season by season.

Access should be prioritised for people of all ages on foot and bicycle with good public transport links and be step-free to enable access for people of all abilities. There should be trees for shade and planters year round, with sustainable urban drainage incorporated into the design alongside informal sheltered seating areas. Services such as health advisories, legal support, financial guidance and social care can and should be offered free and regularly as an added incentive to visit. 

Planning conditions must be imposed to attract local businesses and services rather than enterprises which detract from communities, such as betting shops, estate agents, fried food outlets, pawnbrokers and vaping or off-licences. Ideally, there should be space to provide learning opportunities for new skills from cooking and IT training to brick-laying or wood working.Free WiFi would enable easy communication and add to dwell time for all ages. Free charging points would of course be part of this offer.

High streets must be reinvented for a new age where shopping is not the main experience. They must be fun, safe, inclusive and reflect the local communities they serve and add value to the surrounding landscapes.

Please consider banning the motor car within the circular roads of inner London to everybody except the disabled and those with more than four children.

TFL to create more stations on both the overground and underground wherever possible and also takeover responsibility for all train services with the M25.

A lot of high streets seem to be taken over by pound stores, betting shops , and fast food takeaways.

If you wanted to buy a gift for someone then there is no where to go to buy it. So you are forced to either shop online or find your nearest Westfield shopping mall or Oxford street. 

Weakness of your survey: although you list a good range of features we might want improved, you then focus ALL the subsequent questions on retail . 

And even there you don't ask about independents / chains which is surely a crucial factor for many decisions. 

My use of my high street is as much for the pub, the cafes and station as for purchase of goods.

And why not ask which high street the respondent has in mind.  It would hugely enrich the possible analysis you could do.

5 out of 10 for survey methodology.