Westminster Conservatives force up Church Street shop rents by 25%

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Westminster Conservatives force up Church Street shop rents by 25%

By Westminster Labour ⋅ December 21, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment
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Council refuses to freeze rents for hard-pressed shopkeepers despite claiming to have an ‘economic recovery plan’.

Labour’s Church Street Councillors Barbara Grahame and Aziz Toki have condemned Conservative-controlled Westminster City Council for increasing shop rents by 25% at a time of tough economic conditions. The Council has rejected a petition from Church Street traders to freeze rents, handed to the Council in July by Councillor Toki and will now only help those tenants who can prove they are suffering hardship by producing accounts and other financial evidence.

In addition, Labour say that:

* The proposed concessions are minimal in view of the gloomy economic forecast for shops and will create more work and expense for traders

* How does a 25% rent increase fit in with the Conservatives’ claim that the Council will be ‘working hard to help small traders’?

* The Council has neglected its commercial properties in Church Street for many years and this is another example

* Church Street Neighbourhood Board has been pressing for years for the Council to upgrade Church Street’s pavements, lighting and streetscape through its Civic Streets programme. Such improvements would improve the shopping experience in Church Street and bring in extra customers to the shops. Why has nothing happened?

* The Council has also long neglected Church Street Market which runs down the centre of the street. A well managed attractive market would bring in customers for the shops, too.

* Shops in Church Street also complain about over zealous parking policies which damage traders and their customers

* A broad range of shopkeepers signed the petition which Councillor Toki presented, from high-end antiques dealers and the famous Joel Fabrics to essential local shops, chemists and a dentist.

Councillor Barbara Grahame said:

“I am very disappointed that the Council is increasing rent shop rents by 25% and not offering more support to small traders in Church Street. The council has made great claims about what it is doing to help Westminster traders in hard times but I do not see that in practice here. Church Street shopkeepers are long term partners with the council in supporting the regeneration of this area. They have beed badly let down by the Conservatives. Labour Councillors will continue to work closely with traders and will argue their case for more help from the Council in the current harsh economic climate.”

Councillor Aziz Toki said:

“This a major blow for the many local Bangladeshi and Arabic and other traders in Church Street whose businesses will suffer because of the Council’s refusal to act in their support. At a time of economic difficulties the Council should be helping local businesses instead of the Conservatives massively increasing rents by 25%.”

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