Monday, June 06, 2005
Time(s) and again
Once more I'm going to plunder The Times, this time concerning an article about my home town of Exeter.
Exeter. Or is it Clapham?
The article is right to say we have a "clone" High Street. As I was going through the list in the article I was forced to say yes to everything. What that doesn't take account of though is the fact that High Streets tend to have the highest rent so are likely to be made up of the chain stores who can afford to pay that bit more, and I believe Exeter's rents are particularly high (that is part of the problem in itself). There are plenty of other areas where there are non-chain stores (though one of those areas is currently in rubble as it's being rebuilt by Land Securities - with space for small shops included, if they can afford the rent I suppose!).
What should also be pointed out is this:
"The findings are from a survey of 103 towns, with a population from 5,000 to 50,000, compiled by the New Economics Foundation, an independent think-tank. People were asked to list the first 50 shops they passed along a high street."
Exeter (1) is a city (though some argue town/city are interchangeable), and (2) has a population of 111,078 (2001): See Census of Population of Exeter on the Exeter City Council website.
I suppose it depends how they've defined the City, but it seems a tad artificial to knock out half the population! I feel a letter to the editor coming on! I'll post a copy here if it doesn't make it into the paper.
Exeter. Or is it Clapham?
The article is right to say we have a "clone" High Street. As I was going through the list in the article I was forced to say yes to everything. What that doesn't take account of though is the fact that High Streets tend to have the highest rent so are likely to be made up of the chain stores who can afford to pay that bit more, and I believe Exeter's rents are particularly high (that is part of the problem in itself). There are plenty of other areas where there are non-chain stores (though one of those areas is currently in rubble as it's being rebuilt by Land Securities - with space for small shops included, if they can afford the rent I suppose!).
What should also be pointed out is this:
"The findings are from a survey of 103 towns, with a population from 5,000 to 50,000, compiled by the New Economics Foundation, an independent think-tank. People were asked to list the first 50 shops they passed along a high street."
Exeter (1) is a city (though some argue town/city are interchangeable), and (2) has a population of 111,078 (2001): See Census of Population of Exeter on the Exeter City Council website.
I suppose it depends how they've defined the City, but it seems a tad artificial to knock out half the population! I feel a letter to the editor coming on! I'll post a copy here if it doesn't make it into the paper.
# posted by GrecianEd @ 1:51 am 
