Nearly 25 per cent of shops in Bournemouth are empty

10:40am Monday 10th September 2012 in Latest By Steven Smith

EMPTY SHOPS: To Let boards outside empty shops in Poole High Street EMPTY SHOPS: To Let boards outside empty shops in Poole High Street

ALMOST a quarter of shop units in Bournemouth are empty, according to new statistics.

The Local Data Company says that 22.3 per cent of shops in the borough are vacant, a 4.4 per cent increase year-on-year.

But the Chamber of Trade and Commerce disputes the figures.

The Local Data Company says that the statistics place Bournemouth in the 10 worst areas of the South West.

Nigel Hedges, president of Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce , said: “I cannot see how that’s accurate unless they are taking a sample of a specific area, but across the borough I would challenge that.

“We’ve been about nine per cent and I would expect it to still be around that.

“All of the shops that become vacant in Bournemouth seem to fill up quickly and some businesses, like Pandora, have moved to bigger premises, which is a positive, but it does leave a smaller shop empty.

“I’m astounded that landlords still seem to want boom-time, city centre rents, which are not practical at this time. When there’s a zero on the end of everything for no reason that’s when people pack up and go home.

“We have tried so hard to have a dialogue with landlords and we do wonder what the future of the high street is if people continue to be inflexible.”

There is better news in Parkstone, which falls in the top 10 for the region, with a 1.5 per cent drop year-on-year.

Lucy Cooper, president of Poole Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said: “It is encouraging to see that there is an improvement in Parkstone, we are working with the Traders Associations to implement positive and practical change in these areas.

“There is still a strong sense of community and this promotes local trade as well as helping to shape these areas as ‘destinations’.

“The recent Portas bid that we submitted with Poole Town Centre Management has given us valuable feedback and a platform to decrease the number of empty units on Poole High Street.”

The statistics found that the national average vacancy rate was 14.6 per cent, up from 14.3 per cent six months ago. Margate in Kent came off worst – with 36.5 per cent vacant.

Comments(20)

BIGTONE says...
10:58am Mon 10 Sep 12

Yea but No but Yea but...........Isn't the great Town Centre visions working then?

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Adrian XX says...
11:17am Mon 10 Sep 12

Do we need more economic pressure applied to landlords? Perhaps double-rates for empty properties in certain areas?

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Huey says...
11:19am Mon 10 Sep 12

Business rates are the main issue for small businesses and shops, not rents.
Will the council be cutting these rates?

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BmthNewshound says...
11:27am Mon 10 Sep 12

Nigel Hedges, president of Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce , said: “I cannot see how that’s accurate unless they are taking a sample of a specific area, but across the borough I would challenge that."............ This just demonstrates how completetly out of touch Nigel Hedges is with real business. He lives in his own little bubble, how the owner of a one man business can claim to speak for Bournemouth's business community beggars belief.
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The constant denial and inaccurate information churned out by the Council and Chamber of Commerce doesn't help the situation.
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The combination of high rents and low footfall makes retail in Bournemouth unaffordable. If you take into account the towns demographic, dominated by retired people, people on benefits and students there isn't the money needed to sustain a healthy retail sector.
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There are also simply too many shops and the Council must start to take a more positive approach to change of use requests. I was prevented from using an empty shop premises, which almost 2 years on is still empty, for my eCommerce business simply because the Council advised that a request for change of use would be refused. Where is the sense in that ?

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Mike Oxbig says...
11:33am Mon 10 Sep 12

With the advent of online purchasing and out of town shopping centres, Town Centres will lose their identity as the centre for shopping. This is cannot be reversed. Town Centres should now be centred around the enterainment and hospitality industry and not for retail outlets. Regards.

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christchurch long time resident says...
11:41am Mon 10 Sep 12

would be better if the carparks were less expensive , i would see it as a possitive if you paid when you left, often when i have gone i overpay as not sure how long i will be there which puts me off as its not cheap, so we only go when there is a movie i want to see on orange wed with friend she drives i pay for parking cutting costs down. cant take the kids to events in the summer, i go to poole more often than bmth as you do only pay when you leave and so im happy to be paying for the space im in for the time im in it so not wasting what at the moment is precious money that i can spend on my kids it all adds up.
just one thing i wanted to point out , many places like soton and poole i use more than my local bmth as i pay for what i use. bmth would benefit with this parking method i think.

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ragj195 says...
12:07pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Huey wrote:
Business rates are the main issue for small businesses and shops, not rents.
Will the council be cutting these rates?
It's not rates it's the internet. They could cut the rates by 50% and it still wouldn't reverse the fact that most people either buy things from out of town retail parks or on the internet. It takes me 5 minutes max to buy something like a mobile phone charger online. Why would I want to drive/walk/cycle somewhere to do that?

None of us here walked down to our local newsagent to read this article did we?

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Square Old Codger says...
12:08pm Mon 10 Sep 12

It can only get worse, this is a high cost, low wage area - with a high percentage of Pensioners too. With swingeing increases in energy and food prices on the horizon, disposable incomes are set to fall even further. Then too the impact of smaller pension ( higher taxation for the better off pensioners) and benefit increases, will impact , in the Spring.It's going to be a long recession.

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pete woodley says...
12:29pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Its a combination of both what ragj195 says re internet, and s,o,codger.Both make very valid points,and having had many small shops myself in the past,i would say rates too,are a part of the problem.

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Perihelion says...
1:18pm Mon 10 Sep 12

These statistics are twisted. The figures refer to all of the Borough Of Bournemouth, with a later reference to 'Parkstone' - seemingly independent from Poole. Not very helpful. Still, I agree something needs to be done to encourage town centre shops and shoppers.

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CherrySi says...
1:54pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Excellent point about car parking rates, I get little change from a fiver for 2/3 hours parking in town on a saturday. Much more inclined to go to Castle Point or even online.

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dvdr says...
3:54pm Mon 10 Sep 12

I long ago gave up shopping in Bournemouth unless I absolutely had to - - if for example there was a store there that was not within reach elsewhere. Rarely do I need to come to Bournemouth now, and I am not sorry. Castlepoint, West Quay, and (to a much lesser extent) Poole and Wimborne provide nearly all I want. If it is style I wish for, Winchester or even Salisbury provide it.

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nonnisrevenge says...
4:14pm Mon 10 Sep 12

I hate to say it but Bournemouth has a very stagnant feel about it these days, the shopping experience is very poor, and did you know that underneath all that chewing gum there is network of pavements?!

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rotcoddam says...
4:20pm Mon 10 Sep 12

can we get off this nonsense about business rates. First off the council do not set business rates nor do they have any influence whatsoever over the levels of them. The council merely collects them for central govenment. For several years now most small shops have had 100% business rate relief. That is they have not had any to pay prior too that they had 50% relief. The 100% relief is on till next April. Then it reverts to 50%.

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pete woodley says...
5:07pm Mon 10 Sep 12

rotcoddam,i stand corrected as far as rates are concerned,it is a few years since i had my shops,so did not know the changes.One problem i find with some shops, small and large,is poor service,a general take it or leave it attitude.Is it too much for a chair to be handy so old and disabled can sit down for a few moments,and the words please and thank you seem very rare.

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Bob49 says...
8:46pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Bournemouth also has an image problem. Pier approach is tatty, as will be the Xmas market,

So did anyone from Bournemouth council visit Winchester Xmas market last year to see what they are doing right - and Bournemouth is doing so badly wrong.

Yes internet shopping has taken quite a big bite into certain markets and maybe rents are too high the decreasing trade. Likwise I'm the council could monitor the car park charges as well.

But the simply fact is that the council doesn't appear to have any clear direction, other than handing over car parks to developers to squeeze more flats into.

Various sites seem periodicallt to be up for the (all too usual) development that will inevitably consist of a large number of restuarants, a cinima complex and something like a climbing wall, indoor surf machine or something similar that ticks a planning box.

All of which never come to any fruition.

The town is looking tired, and maybe that's what the town centre vison really is all about. Let it run down so bad that no one will be that bothered when it is all handed over to be turned into flats - with perhaps an attraction like the old Tucktonia. A toy bus station, swimming pool, concert theatre and top department stores.

It could even include a toy town hall, but I think we already have that.

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penhale says...
9:25pm Mon 10 Sep 12

This story is again flogging a dead horse, everything that is wrong with the town center is mentioned above, High car park charges, high business rates, online shopping, out of town shopping centers all reduce the footfall, nothing the council do will change the way people shop in the 21st century.
Trips to town centers are a thing of the past but it's been made worse by greedy councils driving people away and it's gone too far now to come back to what it was.

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ragj195 says...
9:34pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Bang on. People need to let go of their dated thoughts on how shopping works. The world has changed and there's nothing the council can do to reverse it. There could be free parking but it still wouldn't make me waste my time driving to a shop to buy something like an IPAD. You can learn much more about a product online plus you're also protected by the Distance Sales Act if you want to send it back.

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Buster Myth says...
8:10am Tue 11 Sep 12

I never go into town any more. Castlepoint and online shopping all the way.
As for Nigel not being able to see how the figures are correct I would suggest a walk or cycle around the entire borough as a good starting point.

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EDDIE GROVES. says...
8:54pm Thu 13 Sep 12

I am in an enviable position
I've got a bus pass
I can go anywhere
Poole Dorchester Bridport Swindon Basingstoke
shop on line
If it gets much better I wont be able to take it.

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