Tell us about your high streets

Our local high streets in brixton , tulse hill, West Norwood and Streatham are all ruined by high volumes of traffic, which causes noise, air pollution and makes the streets unsafe. I'd like to see a big reduction in unnecessary private vehicle journeys and investment in public transport, walking & cycling infrastructure, green spaces and ebike deliveries for businesses.

We need cheaper rents and reduced business rates to encourage smaller, locally-owned Independent shops and businesses.
 

I'd like to see reduction in free on-street parking on high streets too, as this encourages unnecessary car trips. Parking can be retained on side streets but high streets should be for people, not parked vehicles.

I live in Croydon, which is very run down at the moment. Much needed housing is being built, but delay after delay with Westfield means much of the high street is empty. How much longer will we need to wait until a plan B is considered? Perhaps the existing shopping Centre needs to be refurbished. 

I live in Wealdstone which seems to have a huge refuse problem. Whether it is because houses broken down to flats means a higher population creating more rubbish, or because of council cutbacks, this is visible on the local high street. There is a high rat population because of this problem. The local high street looks quite neglected and run down and this is a real shame.

I live in Coulsdon, which received much investment 10 years ago-- the bypass was built, removing the through-traffic from our "High Street " -- the Brighton Road-- which runs through the centre of Coulsdon. This took away a huge volume of traffic and arising pollution, freeing up the town centre for local shopping traffic and buses.

This was accompanied by works to resurface the Brighton Road, and widen the footways. Several new pedestrian crossing points were built. The footways were repaved, with attractive natural stone, and good quality new slabs, plus new signage (finger posts) , benches, bins and some new trees, giving a much greener public realm.

A new Aldi (a good quality building)was built on the derelict site of the Red Lion pub, adding to the long established Waitrose, which itself has had a makeover. Several long-unused sites have been redeveloped for attractive blocks of flats with some mews type houses, plus the former Cane Hill Hospital redevelopment has  More flats are being built on an old builder's merchant site which was doing nothing for the vitality of Coulsdon

There are some empty shops, but a new cafe, beauty shop, dog care shop, and an estate agent has reopened, although one has shut.  We have lost 2  banks, a building soc, leaving Barclays and Santander. The number of free cashpoints has reduced by 3.  If we lose more, people will be affected.

Coulsdon, thanks to the bypass investment by TFL and Croydon council, which not all high streets have had, plus the residential development in and around the town centre, has emerged from  the doldrums, and is now more prosperous, with a positive feel.

A real problem for Coulsdon is that we had an over-large car park, which was an eyesore, but now, too much of it has been taken for a new council affordable housing.  We need parking for shoppers and the new residents of the new flats. That is a real problem.

Our high street is blighted with noisy, smelly motor traffic and inconsiderate and illegal car parking. The pavements are very narrow and it doesn't feel safe to cycle there and there is a lack of secure cycle parking. Local authorities and TfL desperately needs to redress the balance by reallocating space away from cars in order to widen pavements, build proper cycle lanes and install decent cycle parking. We also need more planting and greenery on our high streets, and more places to sit. Only by doing this will we make our local high streets attractive enough to want to visit more regularly and spend more time there. 

As I am old and cannot walk long distances without support, I would like the bus stops in Willesden High Road to be closer together.  There should be a new bus stop between Willesden Library and Villiers Road.  There should be another new bus stop between Willesden Library and the Junction of Willesden High Road with Willesden Lane and Walm Lane.

It would also be useful to have a bus-shelter, with seats in it, at every bus-stop.  If possible, each shelter should also have a real time information display.

We need less traffic, more greenery and crucially less crime.

VARIETY
There's not enough variety on the British high street. They are too clogged up with estate agents, betting shops, chicken shops, charity shops and hair salons. All of those are needed (maybe not betting shops) but not 5 of each on one small stretch of street. I lived on an amazing high street (Haarlemmerstraat) in Amsterdam that was managed by a street manager that curated the variety of shops as well as signage, greenery and street furniture. It still had the above mentioned shops but also a variety of others (butcher, bakers, poultry, fishmonger, hardware, cafes, bars, restaurants, supermarkets, florists, cookbook store, board game store, clothing etc) all mainly independent. It was voted best high street in the country because of this and is still thriving. VERY different from Caledonian Rd where I live now that is a depressing mix of mainly boarded up shops (owned by a local slumlord), fast food/betting/charity shops and way too many beauty salons. Variety makes or breaks the high street so the mix needs to be managed.

WELCOMING
The high street needs to be a welcoming place. Visual and cleanliness standards need to be kept high and consistent. There needs to be street furniture and greenery as well as the slowing of traffic and protected bike lanes (that also create a layer of protection for pedestrians) to allow local people to quickly (and safely) cycle to the shops and let the bicycle carry it home. There is nothing less welcoming than roaring traffic on the high street. There is only need for loading and disabled parking spaces which can be at every junction of the high street and less urban areas can have park+ride shuttles. Let's take back the high street from cars!

RATES
I won't even go into business rates which are bonkers compared to the zero tax that big online businesses pay or edge of town stores.

We need to develop and maintain a broad mix of shops and services on our high streets.

To encourage diversity, Business Rates based on property / rental value should be replaced with a turnover related charge, regardless of location (in-town vs out-of-town or physical vs on-line). The higher the retail turnover, the bigger the cash payment. 

If set at around 4%, small shops would benefit, large shops would pay about the same and on-line retailers would pay considerably more. 

Too many empty shops, too much litter and graffiti. I dont shop online because too many online retailers dont pay their fair share of taxes. More bins and litter pickers needed. Fast food outlets should be made responsible for their customers littering the neighbourhood. A local litter tax perhaps ?

There is not much variety on the local high street, mainly phone shops, pound shops and small supermarkets. Transport links and parking are an issue. The pavement areas are uneven and dangerous to walk on.

I would really prefer to use my High Street for shopping however, being elderly transport access is not easy so I would have to drive and the lack of parking facilities stops me going. I am not disabled, just old so don't have blue badge but walking to bus stops, waiting in wind and rain, carrying shopping and having to walk up hills is getting beyond me so I find it far easier and more pleasant to visit a retail park or shopping centre despite the lack of any community spirit. We have also lost a lot of useful independent shops from the High Street because of the high rates, we've lost our department stores and we have lost our very good market to an apology for one!

I love the high street but so many shops are now boarded up and empty, usually due to high rates and rents... it dimishes the experience & lessens choice

time for councils to lower businesses rates and government to raise the taxes on line companies more!

The High Street needs to offer a pleasant environment to linger (and spend your money).  Widen the pavements, narrow the roadways, make it easy to cross so that shops both sides of the road are readily accessible.  Parking only for Blue Badge and loading.  Plant trees and install street furniture. Allow cafes and greengrocers and the like to spill out on to the pavement- without extending so far as to cause obstruction.  This way, the High Street will offer something different and might even attract the medium sized supermarkets again.

I grew up in Australia where shopping mostly takes place in shopping centres like Westfield. I love that London has high streets. There is something numbing and artificial about shopping centres that you don't get with a high street. Maybe it has to do with high streets having a history and a character that is unique. Shopping centres are so homogenous. 

This survey missed a key thing: retailer expertise. I regularly visit my cycle store where I can get advice, help with fixing and generally chatting about bikes. I love that. You just don't get that online. 

I like that my local high street offers me places to socialise, independent coffee shops, really good, interesting restaurants - I wouldn't want to lose that as it feels like it really contributes to the buzz of the area - however, a high street should also still serve its population and frankly, unless you're eating, drinking, chatting, you're kinda screwed. Small businesses that were competitive once pricewise have either had to hike up their prices (because they can't otherwise compete with the warehouse bulk buyers in neighbouring areas), or have given way to 'poundland' style shops. 

Lots of small 'express' supermarkets have popped up to the detriment of the larger, better stocked supermarkets - which is a shame. I have to travel to other areas by public transport now to be able to do more than just essential purchases.