Radford Street woes
Last week, two events occurred which again highlighted the problems facing traders in Radford Street. For years, shopkeepers and owners of businesses here have tried to keep their heads above water despite doing business on the ‘wrong side of the tracks’, that is, on the far side of the one way system. Cut off from the rest of the town, they have felt that they are often forgotten or ignored when things happen in the rest of town.
A good example was when Radford Street businesses were initially excluded from the MTI Shop Front Improvement Scheme. It was only after some serious behind the scenes lobbying (and a threat to resign from the Board of the MTI) that I was able to get the rules changed to include Radford Street businesses.
At last week’s Town Council Planning meeting, we were asked to comment on an application for change of use to enable a young lady to start up a nail and beauty salon in a shop that has been empty for months. I was staggered when one of my colleagues spoke to object on the grounds that we had enough of those sort of shops already! I took issue with that view stating that we should encourage and support any young person trying to set up a business in the town. Rather another beauty salon than an empty shop. I’m pleased to report all other speakers agreed with me.
And then on Saturday I popped into Mason’s Menswear and was saddened to hear that Les Mason will be closing down in six weeks time. Les is 65 this year and has been thinking of retirement for a while. Although he had hoped to carry on for a while longer he says that it is becoming increasingly difficult to make ends meet - so sadly Stone will lose another old established business.
I don’t know the answer to Radford Street’s problems. Yes, of course, the bypass should have been built up Margaret Street and across to Northesk Street to join up with Christchurch Way thereby keeping the bottom end of Radford Street in the pedestrianised part of town - but that’s history and will never happen now. So what can be done? I’m sure a marketing campaign might help. If the traders could be persuaded to pool resources it might be possible to raise public awareness of the shops there. And we should all make a point of using Radford Street businesses when we can especially as they are now accessed so easily from the new Christchurch Way car park.
Any other ideas?
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