On 18 May 2007 at 7:58pm Andy wrote:
So the toy shop is shutting at the bottom of the high street and will be replaced by an estate agents according the the local today.
So where is David Quinn and his little followers now. He won't let Tescos expand to include clothes or Aldi to open in the town but he seems willing to accept yet another estate agent.
Alongside the 20 odd hairdressers/barbers and 20 odd antique shops, the acceptance of another estate agents just goes to prove which way this town is heading......VIVA LE SNOBS !!!
On 19 May 2007 at 1:53pm ExiledfromLewes wrote:
That's a shame if that is true. It must be very difficult for small shops with the Internet, rent increases etc... I'm not a fan of all the estate agents taking over the high street, replacing local stores.
What confuses me is that you seem to want have an extended Tescos (fair enough if you want it), but that would probably pose a greater threat to the local stores. Lastly I don't think David Quinn is for estate agents buying into the town and replacing local stores. The reality is that prices in Lewes for houses, shops, land are extremly high and small stores are priced out of the town. Replacing them are estate agents selling houses that no one like myself who is under thirty (just) can afford.
On 21 May 2007 at 10:11am Mystic mog wrote:
The change from toy shop to eatate agent will not require a planning change of use. So even if you do not like the change there is nothing you can do about it. However a store expansion must go through planning and therefore you can object. Tesco and Aldi will threaten the remaining useful shops in Lewes - and you can buy cheap clothes in Lewes.
On 21 May 2007 at 10:53am chav wrote:
i wonder what estate agents they will be using to rent it?
On 21 May 2007 at 3:36pm Andy wrote:
And which "useful" shops are those that you talk about mystic mog ?
Don't you think we have enough estate agents, hair dressers and antique shops. What happened to diversity ?
On 21 May 2007 at 3:44pm dats wrote:
Oakleys, apparently...
On 21 May 2007 at 5:15pm Mystic mog wrote:
Food, clothes, hardware etc
On 21 May 2007 at 5:52pm Andy wrote:
Clothes.....we have several clothes shops for women in the town with only one or two that spring to mind for men. I looked at some T-shirts on special offer in one of the mens shops the other day....reduced to £19 !!!!.....i don't pay that for a car let alone a T shirt.
Food......well apart from the health food shop down by the pet shop plus the two in the precinct, what else is there ???
Hardware....Bunces seems to sell stuff that many shops don't...Tesco or Aldi won't touch that and anyway, Homebase (formally Texas) has been there a lot longer than Bunces and it doesn't seem to have affected business. Oh and of course you have Seymores......well i'm sorry because i'm on a budget and i can't afford to take out a loan when i buy a kettle or toaster.
It's about time this town gave "ordinary" people something to cheer about. When i say ordinary, i mean people who earn less than £20k a year and have to budget to buy things.
On 21 May 2007 at 7:16pm SHS wrote:
Personally I think we need a market - weekly or permanent. The sort that sells cheap fresh food (supermarket prices or less) but also with a hardware stand or two, a clothes stand or two, you name it. Like the old markets of the East End of London, and like many that still exist in France. But the council (LDC or ESCC) will charge road closure fees, licence fees, advertising fees, rent - all costs that tend to make such things non-viable, before you even start to consider parking or public transport.....
On 22 May 2007 at 4:39am Andy wrote:
Couldn't agree more SHS....a bit like the old Haywards Heath market which shut some 15 years ago
On 22 May 2007 at 10:43am Mystic mog wrote:
Agree with SHS. Andy you have forgotton Argos and Woolies.
On 22 May 2007 at 11:41am Smiler wrote:
...and Bills I hear they sell fruit and veg
On 22 May 2007 at 12:46pm Andy wrote:
Ahhhh Bills. You only have to take a look at the people in there sitting down to elevenses to realise that us "peasants" couldn't afford even an apple from that shop.
Bill's really epitomises everything about Lewes....sky high prices for ordinary stuff which are being sold to middle/upper class snobs who dive very large 4x4's, kids in private schools, husband earning £150k pa and look and sound like Penelope Keith from the Good life !!!
Argos and woolies are good shops.....but that is just two in a very long high street. We need a primark or something but we'll end up getting a mini Harrods !!!
On 22 May 2007 at 2:13pm Mystic mog wrote:
OK so no local shops, especially those that are successful. Bring on the multiples with 4 infected chickens for a pound. Not all who are on a low income feel the need to buy cheap tat. Sometimes less is more, quality v quantity. Not all who shop at local shops are on high incomes. Gents clothes are more difficult. However I am sick of buying cheap socks that last no time at all. I save up for quality ones that last - works out at about the same cost minus the aggrivation and they look better.
On 22 May 2007 at 8:28pm SHS wrote:
"....and they look better" ???
Yes, first thing I look at on any girl is her socks, she has to have good looking socks.
On 22 May 2007 at 11:42pm Mystic mog wrote:
As a bloke that is not normally what I look at first!
On 23 May 2007 at 12:27pm Mystic Mog wrote:
BTW I was wrong the change of use for this does go through planning - retail to estate agent. So object in writing to LDC if you are so minded.
On 23 May 2007 at 12:36pm ExiledfromLewes wrote:
That's an interesting piece of info, i didn't know that you had to go through planning for that. I know you do for retail to private housing.
I think the difficulty of any objection is that there would need to be some legal reason why not, which would be difficult to find.
On 23 May 2007 at 4:01pm The Super K wrote:
With our council will objects actually matter, they will do as they please, why should we the voter get a say?
On 23 May 2007 at 4:56pm Mystic Mog wrote:
It is LDC it is their district plan about detrimental change to shopping in Lewes. this is the clause that LDC used to fight off Tesco's first application. So if they / you can prove that it will cause problems then there a valid objection.
Of course Super K all councillors do exactly as they please, they earn billions in brown envelopes, take no notice of their electors - not. Some are better than others, get involved, vote, stand, go to meetings but do not make crass comments. I hope you voted on 3rd May.
On 29 May 2007 at 5:20am expat wrote:
Just an observaton on overpriced goods in Lewes shops... On a recent return visit to my ex home town, I wandered into a little, seemingly exclusive womens clothing shop somewhere roughly opposite Woolies. They were selling a top that I bought in my local (off the bum of the world) flea market. I bought it from a stall holder for $30nz. Brand new item, full range of colours etc. In Lewes the identical product was selling for thirty quid. For those that don't follow the nz dollar, that's nearly three times the price!