Fancy a McClinton's?

Tue, 04 Feb 2003 10:40:45 GMT

Can you imagine a McDonalds in Higginson Park replacing the tea shop? Can you imagine a statue of Ronald McDonald placed next to Sir Steve Redgrave? Can you imagine children feeding their leftover "Happy Meals" to the Swans in the newly sponsored McDonald "Theme" Park?

Well unless we shake off our apathy and in action and do something about it right now, sadly that is an inevitable vision of our future, because according to the Bucks Free Press, property companies like Michael Shanly are pricing our smaller stores out of the market, by imposing rental costs of 65% or more, and replacing their old tenants with larger corporate brands, such as Blockbusters, Monsoon, Pizza Express, Coffee Republic and Clinton Cards.

And yet less than two years ago a report by Experian, ranking more than 400 towns and cities according to the profitability of their small and medium-sized businesses, ranked Marlow's in their top 100 (72). Today that same report shows Marlow languishing in 242nd?

Richard Hunt, a member of Marlow's Chamber of Commerce , explained why there has been such a massive fall of 170 places: "It is because our profits are being eaten away by exorbitant rents and when the rents go up, the property value increases and with it so do the business rates"

So not only have we lost our top ranking locally but Marlow has also lost the family run butchers, the local bakers and more recently one of our bookstores to name but a few.

"It is what we have been afraid of for quite a long time. The smaller, individual shops Marlow was once famous for and proud of are fast disappearing." said Richard Hunt. A map showing Marlow shops as they were in 2001. So who is going to be next to disappear?

Well following a telephone call to Deriaz Slater's - Commercial Lettings - I was sent the details for Henry Jones, 72 High Street, John Harleigh Sports, 19 Spittal Street and for the bargain rent of £60,000 per annum (subject to 5 yearly rent reviews!) I could move into 62 High Street.

If Michael Shanly & Co are allowed to continue with this highway robbery, I expect there won't be any bookstores, sports shops, florists, fishmongers or toy shops left, only a Dixons, Next and MacDonalds!

They will eventually turn Marlow into a "franchise freeway", identical to Slough, Reading, Wycombe and Maidenhead,full of take-away restaurants and the same bland {brand} stores offering no variety, service or choice.

So what can we do?

Well as far as I am aware, Michael Shanly & Co are not doing anything illegal other than being guilty, in my opinion, of being greedy property developers wanting to make as much money as they can in the short-term, irrespective of the the longer-term damage they may be causing to Marlow.

But by boycotting the brand name stores like Clinton Cards and others, we can play them at their own game and make it simply unprofitable for large undesirable brands to remain in Marlow because with low (no) revenues and high rents their corporate head offices will decide to relocate them to somewhere else more desirable. (profitable). - note - there are three Clinton stores in Maidenhead and two in Wycombe?

Michael Shanly and Co will then have to reduce their exorbitant rents in order to accract back local businesses to fill their stores.

But it made me think, what is our Mayor, the local councillors and our MP doing about this problem? Unfortunately not a lot, as far as I can see, but that may not be their fault because the Marlow Town Council has very little power these day; the rates and most local decisions to do with Marlow are now determined by Wycombe Council .

But apart from boycotting these branded stores I have also created an online survey , which if enough of us complete, I will send through to our MP and Mayor as a vote of our displeasure against the way in which Marlow is being turned into a franchise freeway.

Hopefully it will enable them to discuss the issue of rent capping or other legal measures by which Wycombe Council could prevent the property developers from forcing out of business anymore of our local Marlow stores.

One person wrote this in the Bookend's book of condolence which probably sums up my thoughts best: "Marlow will lose its charm if it continues to attract the mainstream shops of every other high street at the expense of our individual shops. "Let's resist the temptation of big companies and preserve the small ones."

P.S Out of curiosity I did take a look around Clinton's and have to say I did find one card I would like to send the Chairman of Clinton's - Don Lewin OBE.

Maybe if enough of us vote I will send him the card along with the results. He might just take the hint!

Clinton Cards
The Crystal Building
Langston Road
Loughton
Essex IG10 3TH

Sam Sethi: Marlow

Fancy a McClinton's?