Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Range of shops key to town centre success
Picture by AlistairJ
The range of shops and services in a town centre is more important to visitors than whether they have to pay to park there, according to new research just published by London Councils.
London Councils commissioned a study to review previous research done about the impact of parking and parking charges on town centres.
Their report, The Relevance of Parking in the Success of Urban Town Centres, looks at whether there is a link between free or cheap parking and the amount of commercial activity at town centres across London.
It also analyses how people travel to town centres and how often they visit their local high street and larger shopping centres.
I'm not sure how relevant the study is for Harringay's high street given the way it's developed as a destination centre for a non-resident population and I'm not writing this article as an endorsement of the paper, but I think it's interesting, worthwhile and deserves an airing.
The research concludes that more parking does not necessarily mean more trade. A well managed parking scheme where spaces turn over frequently can help to increase the number of visitors to a town centre. A good mix of shops and services and the way a town centre looks are some of the most important factors which attract shoppers.
A key finding was that the number of people arriving at a town centre by car is frequently overestimated. Although car drivers spend more on a single trip to a town centre, walkers, cyclists and people using public transport visit more frequently and spend more money there over a week or a month than motorists do.
Chair of London Councils Transport and Environment Committee, Councillor Catherine West said: “London Councils commissioned research to find out whether there is a link between free parking and the commercial success of a town centre.
The research shows that although retailers still perceive parking as being one of the main reasons for lack of footfall, people travelling on public transport or by foot visit town centres more often and spend more money than motorists.
The study suggests that the range of shops and services and how a high street looks are more important factors in attracting people into town centres than free parking. Every town centre is different and every local council and community will need to make its own decisions about parking charges.”
So, what do you think? I'd certainly like to see the range of shops on Green Lanes extended, but I'm not sure that this research is particular enough to our high street to be so helpful on the parking issue.
Full report attached.
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Permalink Reply by Grant on
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Thanks for highlighting this report Hugh. It does contain some pretty surprising statistics, particularly Appendix 2 to the report which (although not named as such) contains a shopper survey of Wood Green. 1500 cheap car parking spaces and only 17% of shoppers arrive by car.
Other choice bits I noticed when scanning the report, which could be relevant given the recent discussions on parking charges and the redesign of the high street:
- Providing more parking could be seen as encouraging more traffic, the very thing that makes town centres less attractive to main potential shoppers.
- There is no such thing as ‘free’ parking. Most on street parking is the responsibility of local authorities and therefore local taxpayers have to pick up the cost of development and maintenance of parking spaces, as well as the management of any enforcement regime if revenue is not sufficient to cover costs.
- The introduction of ‘free’ parking often does not have the desired effect in terms of increasing visitors or shoppers to any area. It most often leads to a reduction in turnover of spaces, i.e. longer parking stays mean less visitors per day. This means that retail sales reduce rather than increase.
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Thanks for this Hugh and I agree with all of Grant's observations!
My company, Burrows Little is a specialist Retail and Leisure architectural and design practice and I have workd throughout the world on large and small retail projects. In each and every project, the two most important factors for success has been the retail mix /range of shops and services and the general ambience and design. How a high street looks and feels plays such an important part in the psychology of the shopper. Take for example Marylebone High Street, Hampstead Village and Cobham Centre . Yes... these are all well-heeled locations but what makes them special in terms of retail is the good mix of shops, good rental to sales ratios, manageable rates, good management by the respective councils, the overall design, care and attention to shopfronts, landscaping, cleanliness of pavements, good pedestrian management.
Parking availability is important but it is not the initial driver.
The only way for high street shopping to be improved is for the relevant local authority, landlords and the principal retailers to take the lead and create an effective blueprint for success:
- dictate limits on types and numbers of shops to ensure that there is a wide range of shopping and leisure opportunities (as is done in enclosed privately owned shopping centres)
- improve the quality of landscaping and increase the number of mature trees
- improve street lighting and control illuminated signage
- set standards for the design and upkeep of shopfronts
- monitor and police rubbish collection and dumping (effective recycling policy)
- work with the roads departments to limit the number of signposts and obstructions on pavements
- control the influx of betting shops, fast food premises and charity shops.
- organise community events
- police the area to reduce anti-social behaviour (community police, volunteers?)
- ensure that all stakeholders buy into the philosophy and promote the new image
Obviously these steps are easier suggested than taken and local authorities and landlords are always keen to get regular income rather than holding out for the ideal tenant (Betting shops pay good rates!) but the only way for an area to improve itself is to take bold steps.
Green Lanes, its good retailers and residents deserve better!
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