About time, beyond time that we had some common sense like this.
Given that the 'old' High Street is not coming back (and the author is correct, that model is done) then local / national politicians with any imagination ought to be repurposing rather than inventing new taxes, increasing existing taxes and bringing in ever more regulation and local rules and restrictions.
The move to residential housing will neither be easy nor cheap, but our present course is heading for the rocks.
(And if there is a better idea than residential conversion - let's hear it . . .)
Chris rightly makes the distinction between specialist vape shops (mostly members of the UK Vaping Industry Association) and shops that sell vapes. The former operate strictly within the law. Some of the latter operate outside it. If the government introduces new laws and continues to not enforce existing ones, it will only be those businesses that actually obey the law that get clobbered.
Thanks for stating the obvious so well. Changing the planning rules won’t stop the existing sprawl of shabby vape shops, take away, barbers and charity shops. Enforcement of existing laws might be a start before we play at making new laws. I agree we add to the problem by ordering from Amazon and then complaining that the high street has no ‘proper’ shops left. On the other hand, government - local and national - doesn’t help. Being able to park would make a start - our small towns and villages in Kent still have free parking, the larger towns make it hard to park, so you may as well head for the industrial estate and park for free. Local shops are priced out by high rents and business rates. The charity shops and new entrants seem to get preferential treatment, the old chains like Boots and Smiths (now Jones) look unloved and shabby. Unless you are in a well healed area, most high streets are not exactly inviting. If there are too many shops and a shortage of housing, wouldn’t it also make sense to repurpose shops for residential use? There is much that can be done, but probably won’t be done.
Government makes it hard to gain permission to convert retail to residential. Office to residential isn't awful but can be rejected if there was a gym or therapy centre in a couple of units of the office block. An application can also be rejected if you can't prove the existing use is no longer viable. But this obstacle could just be easier to overcome long-term if councillors reject a vape or barber shop
About time, beyond time that we had some common sense like this.
Given that the 'old' High Street is not coming back (and the author is correct, that model is done) then local / national politicians with any imagination ought to be repurposing rather than inventing new taxes, increasing existing taxes and bringing in ever more regulation and local rules and restrictions.
The move to residential housing will neither be easy nor cheap, but our present course is heading for the rocks.
(And if there is a better idea than residential conversion - let's hear it . . .)
Chris rightly makes the distinction between specialist vape shops (mostly members of the UK Vaping Industry Association) and shops that sell vapes. The former operate strictly within the law. Some of the latter operate outside it. If the government introduces new laws and continues to not enforce existing ones, it will only be those businesses that actually obey the law that get clobbered.
Thanks for stating the obvious so well. Changing the planning rules won’t stop the existing sprawl of shabby vape shops, take away, barbers and charity shops. Enforcement of existing laws might be a start before we play at making new laws. I agree we add to the problem by ordering from Amazon and then complaining that the high street has no ‘proper’ shops left. On the other hand, government - local and national - doesn’t help. Being able to park would make a start - our small towns and villages in Kent still have free parking, the larger towns make it hard to park, so you may as well head for the industrial estate and park for free. Local shops are priced out by high rents and business rates. The charity shops and new entrants seem to get preferential treatment, the old chains like Boots and Smiths (now Jones) look unloved and shabby. Unless you are in a well healed area, most high streets are not exactly inviting. If there are too many shops and a shortage of housing, wouldn’t it also make sense to repurpose shops for residential use? There is much that can be done, but probably won’t be done.
Government makes it hard to gain permission to convert retail to residential. Office to residential isn't awful but can be rejected if there was a gym or therapy centre in a couple of units of the office block. An application can also be rejected if you can't prove the existing use is no longer viable. But this obstacle could just be easier to overcome long-term if councillors reject a vape or barber shop