Survey Results (May 2008)

Future of our Town Centre

We had a fabulous response to the questionnaire on High Barnet town centre distributed to members and selected streets within a mile of the town centre. In total some 1600 questionnaires were issued and over 300 responses received. Surveys such as this typically get a 10% response or less – we got well over 20%. This demonstrates the concerns shared by residents about the decline of our High Street.

The questionnaire as proved to be very timely, in the light of the proposed development of the Spires. We will begin with the results:

1. Is there a sufficient variety of shops?
Good - 5% Adequate - 30% Unsatisfactory - 65%

2. How do you rate the overall appearance of the shop frontages and signage?
Good - 5% Adequate - 54% Unsatisfactory - 41%

3. How do you rate the parking facilities?
Good - 7% Adequate - 41% Unsatisfactory - 52%

4. How easy is it to move around the High St. pavements and crossings?
Good - 24% Adequate - 60% Unsatisfactory - 16%

5. Do you enjoy shopping in The Spires?
Good - 24% Adequate - 48% Unsatisfactory - 13%

6. Do you enjoy shopping in the High St.?
Good - 13% Adequate - 39% Unsatisfactory - 48%

7. Are you aware that much of the High St. is in a conservation area?
Yes - 29% No - 71%

8. Do these protected buildings have the appearance of a conservation area?
Yes - 12% No - 88%

9. Do you do the majority of your food and consumables shopping in High Barnet?
Yes - 47% No - 53%

These results provide some very clear messages about our shopping centre and the overall verdict is far from favourable. The major points emerging are as follows:-

Range and appearance of shops

There is a perception that the town centre has gone ‘down market’, and poor kerb appeal is influencing whether shoppers choose to use the shopping centre. Obviously we cannot directly influence which retailers come to High Barnet and we can do little to control signage and window dressing. The council has limited powers except when a change of use is proposed (more below about the conservation areas). The management of The Spires do exercise some control as they rightly regard appearance to be important to the overall appeal. It is a pity that some of our High St. traders do not have the same awareness.

Car parking

A lot of respondents commented on the awkwardness of using The Spires car park and there was a lot of resentment at the increase in charges there. Council parking on the other hand was completely off the radar. The astronomical charges for short-term parking and limited availability were perceived as major negatives. The draconian parking control regime also came in for comment – there is no pleasure in shopping if you are obliged to nervously keep checking your watch to ensure you do not overstay the charged period by even a minute. We believe that The Spires management is well aware of the shortcomings of its current parking arrangements and these will be addressed as part of the redevelopment scheme. Persuading the council that there might even be a problem is another matter.

Shopping enjoyment

The one real bright spot in the survey was the approval given to The Spires, in marked contrast to the thumbs down for the High St. There were some grumbles about the range of shops. However, expansion of a well-managed pedestrianised mall is probably the best way of improving the town centre as a whole. A mall that draws in more shoppers should also increase footfall in the High Street and in due course could attract a more appealing range of retailers.

The conservation areas

There was overwhelming negativity regarding the appearance of the conservation areas. The top end of the High St met with qualified approval, but no one had a good word for the appearance of the area south of Salisbury Rd. The Council oversight here has sadly been a major failure. We have looked at other shopping centres under conservation controls and noted the restrained size and colour of facias and signage, allowing the historic buildings to blend with their usage rather than produce an ugly clash. It can be done.

Shopping locally or elsewhere

We had anticipated that many residents would drive to cheaper supermarkets elsewhere but were surprised at the number who do so – over half of our respondents. Bearing in mind that those who responded were people who had sufficient regard for our High St to be bothered to reply, the proportion of local residents who go elsewhere is probably much higher. It is likely that many of the local people who shop elsewhere and are happy with the situation would not be sufficiently interested to return the questionnaire. It is understandable that Waitrose is perceived by many as being expensive which is why they go elsewhere, especially as free parking and cheaper goods can more than offset the travel costs.

What is the council doing?

Last year the council acknowledged that a number of shopping centres in the Borough were struggling and commissioned a study, the results of which were published in April in a document entitled ‘A suburban Town Centre Strategy for Barnet’. The document was eloquent in expressing concern and the ambition to see improvements, acknowledging that the council has a key role in creating the right environment forprivate sector investment. Town centre appearance, parking, change of planning use, safety and security, street trading and waste management were identified as areas where the council has regulatory controls or a strong influence. Traffic management and conservation were notable omissions from the list. Though some initiatives were identified, the document was alas somewhat short on solutions.

The council does have a programme of footway renewal, something that has already benefited High Barnet, and a lot of effort has gone into street cleaning. Security is a world better since the introduction of the Safer Neighbourhood Teams and CCTV. On planning, there is a clear commitment to encourage more housing in town centres (as this will increase usage of local facilities), but for other planning policies we still have to await the long overdue local development strategy. On parking we are merely told that the council will ‘continue the effective control of its parking arrangements in town centres’, an amazing cop-out as the council’s own study acknowledges major dissatisfaction with parking arrangements. We interpret this as meaning the council is still more interested in maximising income than improving commercial well-being.

What next?

BRA has identified three areas of council responsibility that we believe need early attention: car parking, traffic management and conservation management. The redevelopment of the College (now under way) and the emerging proposals for The Spires will both have a significant impact on an environment already struggling to deal with excess traffic and inadequate parking arrangements. The developers are obliged to give money to the council to fund improvements to the local environment. We are anxious to ensure that it is spent wisely. Your committee is beginning to develop some ideas, to which we will return to in future newsletters. If members have any views on priorities for spending money on improving the town centre we will be pleased to hear them. We will also look afresh at the High St. conservation areas to see if something can be done to improve the current woeful state.