I spotted a crowd in Winchester today and couldn't resist popping over to see what was so exciting. It was the opening of a new Primark store, the replacement for the departed BHS, in our own white elephant, the Brooks shopping centre. Of course, our mayor was there, resplendent with his chain of office, gladhanding the Primark executives who'd come to town for the occasion.
Quite why any of our city dignatories should ever look pleased with themselves is beyond me. They preside over a city that doesn't have a butcher, a greengrocer, or a fishmonger and, unless things have changed in recent weeks, a single locally owned shop on the length of the High Street from M&S to Barclays Bank! When challenged their response on the first point is that M&S and Sainsbury's sell meat, fruit and fish - that may please them but it's a pretty inadequate defence in my opinion. As for the locally-owned shops? Pontius Pilate lives again in Winchester as they throw up their hands and say that no local business wants a shop on the High Street, or that it's all the landslords' fault.
The fact is that some small businesses do want to move in, but the landlords simply won't have them, preferring to offer the premises to chains. What should the City Council do about this? The answer is simple: work with the landlords to ensure that adequate shopping facilities are made available for the citizens of Winchester. Do we really need three faceless coffee shops offering their over-priced capuccinos, while small, locally-owned coffee shops and delis can't get a look in? I have a friend - my business partner in http://www.bellapuglia.co.uk/ - who has been trying for years to get better premises for his wonderful deli and coffee shop, Tom's on St George's Street - he could write a book about the travails that he has had.
It doesn't need to be this way. I was recently in Louth, in Lincolnshire, a town much smaller than Winchester, and it has three or four butchers, several greengrocers and a couple of fishmongers. The town centre bustles with locals out doing their shopping in the old-fashioned way - the way that we all say that we admire so much when we go to France or Italy! You're spoiled for choice when it comes to coffee shops offering great value, and their own home-baked cakes and pastries - oh, and prices are a lot lower too.
Instead our Council seems hell-bent on making Winchester look like every other High Street in the land, and it's a disgrace. They have grand plans for another faceless shopping centre at Silver Hill - one of the brighter things about the recession is that it has temporarily spared us that! Why haven't they insisted on a food court within the plans for that shopping centre, to be restricted to small, locally-owned shops? Only they know the answer to that one!
They always reckon that we get the rulers we deserve, and in the case of Winchester that's probably correct - our lethargy in electing the same cabal time and time again has resulted in the destruction of our city's character and heritage: shame on us. Our local rag, the Hampshire Chronicle has, in my view, failed us too. If ever there was a campaign waiting to be started, it's 'Save Our City Centre', but for reasons known only to itself, it either hasn't spotted it, or daren't do it. I wonder whether the editor fears a lack of co-operation from the powers-that-be if he rocks the cosy boat? Surely not?
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