Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Corona Crisis - the View from Harringay’s High Street
As some of you will know, I became acutely aware of how the crisis was affecting our high street when I visited Snug last Friday: Anna told me that her business was down by half.
Reading of the distress on the high street throughout the continent, I wanted to better understand how it was affecting us. So, this afternoon I had a conversation with Rob Tao of the Harringay Traders Organisation.
In short, Rob made it clear that Harringay is suffering the same as everywhere else. It’s now the bars cafes and restaurants that are worst impacted. As with Snug, many of them are reporting that their takings have been reduced by 50%. Grocery and other food stores aren’t currently suffering to the same extent, but most physical businesses are impacted.
Rob thinks that the government’s business rates relief and the small business grants may be a life saver for some businesses. However, there’s a real need for clarity at the earliest possible point. Rob’s been in touch with the Council several times, but there’s still no explanation of exactly who qualifies and when things will be put in place.
“As things turn out”, Rob told me, “we’re at the end of this rates year and the start of the next one. So, the Council are hoping to simply not send out the 2020-21 business rates bills”.
“Even with this in place”, Rob explained, “the situation remains hugely challenging. Most of the businesses on Green Lanes have large rent and staff bills to pay. If their business is decimated, layoffs and business closures might well happen”.
Rob’s heard that 70 staff were laid off from Wood Green’s retail businesses yesterday. More are expected.
“Some of the bigger restaurants in Harringay have as many as 40 staff on their books. Closure or slow-down will have a widespread impact”, he told me.
“We hope that most businesses on Green Lanes can carry on. But, the longer the crisis continues, the more difficult it becomes to rule out the possibility that we will start seeing victims’.
Tags for Forum Posts: coronavirus
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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The government now do monthly PAYE reporting. They will know exactly who has lost their job and how much their shortfall is because of the missing PAYE income. They could helicopter money to people with absolute precision.
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Permalink Reply by Lauren on
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Anyone wondering why there’s no paracetamol or liquid handsoap available for customers to buy on the shelves at Savers... I’ve just caught a staff member putting through multiple (the large packs they are delivered in before splitting to out on shelves) packs on separate receipts for himself. I confronted him about this and he said they were “for staff”. I’ve reported him to Savers HQ. Not minutes earlier I heard staff telling customers (many of whom were elderly) that they had none in the store. Shameful.
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Permalink Reply by Will on
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I get the feeling that the immediate economic impact on retailers, restaurateurs, and bars has been given very broad coverage in the press. But there is a disturbing lack of responsibility being shown by many businesses.
By remaining open, they encourage or enable the thoughtless to socialise and hinder efforts to suppress the virus.
Many, many people throughout the economy will lose their livelihood. And many, many people throughout the economy will lose their life. Only one of those two things can be regained.
Shut your restaurants and bars, Harringay traders.
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Driving through East and North London today, Green Lanes in Harringay sets itself apart. It's busy and active.
That hair salons, barbers, restaurants and cafes are still taking customers should be a source of real shame for the area. I'm sure they will still make the most of their business rates holidays and government support, but I would like to see them named and excluded from any such support. Their behaviour will certainly result in more people dying than otherwise might.
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If they should be shut down then its on government to shut them down. Its not fair to put the decisions on the businesses themselves.
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Fair? Can you expand on that? The govt has made clear that any with business continuity insurance can still claim (assuming their policy covers this).
Why would or should they need a directive from the government to do what is socially responsible?
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Perhaps you should put it the other way round - if it's so obvious that these businesses should be closed (and personally I would like to see more closures), why doesn't government simply tell them to close? They are obviously better placed to take these decisions than individual businesses themselves.
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The question of why the Govt hasn't enforced closure is a valid one. I think the release today of the behavioural science they are relying on provides some insight. This does not preclude business owners behaving in a responsible way. I'm making note of the names and wont be giving them any business in future.
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You'll have to spell out the insight in that table that means that businesses should be boycotted for not taking a decision that government hasn't.
Also, it's not necessarily the case that insurance will cover the losses - it depends on whether they have cover and what for. Lots of businesses will not be covered at all and will go bust.
Which is precisely why, if its nevertheless the right thing to close them, government should enforce that and take the decision out of their hands.
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The table wasn't meant to explain the obvious, Spiderman. I made clear in my comment that insurance only applies to those with appropriate cover. Yes, lots of businesses will go bust.
It's as if the cafes, restaurants., bars and salons won't be replaced on the other side of this. That's obviously not the case. The lives lost wont be able to be replaced though. It's a hell of an outlook you seem to have if a job is valued more than a life.
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You're being absurd. I specifically said I'd like to see *more * closures, so leave out the silly straw man suggestions that I think a "job is valued more than a life",thanks very much.
I'm saying that it should be government making these decisions not individual businesses. You've come up with no proper reason why government shouldnt be held responsible for this.
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