Lewes Forum thread

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Lewes shops / parking consultation

On 28 Jan 2011 at 2:18pm Confused wrote:

I'm starting to lose faith with local shops. I'm in Lewes with off street parking, the parking scheme doesn't affect me directly but I dislike it for two reasons:
1. It isn't in keeping with the town as it's high handed, unfriendly, sneaky and oppressive. It's dishonest because it is revenue collection dressed up as public service.
2. The local shops say that it has had a badly negative effect on their businesses.
If the shops believe the second point then why aren't they campaigning against the scheme now, and informing their customers, when the authorities are pretending (at least) to be listening? I haven't seen or heard anything from local shops over the last week.
Perhaps they don't deserve my custom for 11 months of the year. (I already shop elsewhere at Christmas because the High Street here is so embarrassingly drab.)

On 28 Jan 2011 at 3:49pm MC wrote:

They probably don't know there's a consultation on. It's not been advertised adequately.

On 28 Jan 2011 at 5:42pm rotten review wrote:

The shops have got themselves in a mes. They do not act effectively as a group, because instead of becoming part of a communal response to the review, they only consider the scheme from the perspective of a shop. Narrow minded, and a rather inept strategy. If they had got residents on their side, instead of retreating into the cosy closed shop of the Chamber of Commerce, they might have achieved something. Its the same story as our local political groups. No one wants to rock the boat, no one wants to stick their neck out, and no one wants to take a lead, or a stand. ESCC have successfully divided and conquered. Once again, where is our leadership.

On 28 Jan 2011 at 7:13pm jrsussex wrote:

rotten review - Your comments certainly apply to the pub trade, who over the last 15/20 years, have deserted their LVA's and are paying the price. They no longer have a strong trade representation to protect thier and indeed the customers rights, and can no longer mount any worthwhile opposition to changes in the law, police practices or the local authorities licensing team.
I can well imagine that the rest of the retail trade have landed themselves in a similar situation. The local Chambers of Commerce used to fight for them but are largely extinct these days.