Economic Scene

The economic forecast for the UK in 2008 does not make pleasant reading. The effect of the sub prime lending crisis remains with banks continuing to be nervous over lending. The Northern Rock debacle remains unresolved and with time running out it looks increasingly like the Bank will be nationalised. Sterling’s value is dropping through the floor against the Euro, 76p at time of writing, and also weakening against the dollar. The likelihood of further rate cuts in the UK during the year will do nothing to arrest this trend. After a quarter percent cut in December, the Bank of England decided to leave rates on hold at 5.5% in January but a further cut in February is virtually a given, despite inflation risks from higher energy prices. Forecasters predict a rate of between 4% and 4.5% by the end of 2008. This will be necessary to kick start the housing sector and inject a degree of consumer confidence back into the high street. The government will be determined to avoid a recession at all costs.

 

Many independent businesses will be awaiting the Chancellor’s decision on the treatment of capital gains tax following the ill thought through announcement in the Pre-Budget statement late last year. Time is now running out as April approaches and the Chancellor must announce his review finding shortly. With both Northern Rock and CGT on his mind, Alistair Darling cannot be sleeping too easily right now!

 

Retail Scene

The economic downturn was, not surprisingly, reflected in retail sales over the Christmas period. There was a huge contrast in the performance of the two high street bellwethers – John Lewis and M&S. John Lewis saw like-for-like department store performance up 6.2% with Waitrose up 4.1%. This compared with M&S reporting a like-for-like fall of 2.2% resulting in a fifth of its value being wiped of its share price. Tesco reported sales up 3.1%, below City expectations but a solid performance with international sales up over 26% and on-line sales increasing by 24%. Yet overall, BRC sales monitor reported a disappointing like-for-like rise of only 0.3% compared with recent years performance up 2.6% for the period. It is inevitable that retail sales will very much mirror the economy in 2008 with pundits not forecasting a dawn until early 2009. The economy and retail are in for a rough ride in 2008.

  

Letter To Lee Scott

C/O

100 High Street Barkingside,

Ilford,

Essex. IG6 2DR

 

Wednesday 16^th January 2008

 

 

Dear Lee Scott

 

Could you please advise the Partnership on the following information regarding Barkingside High Street:

 

Transport for London has provided funding for the traffic management measures and CCTV in the current financial year which Area 3 Committee has approved. The allocation also allows for the implementation of the build-outs if approved. New lamp columns and improved street furniture will be implemented during 2008/9. There may be further opportunities for public realm improvements as part of future regeneration proposals which could be included in bids for external funding.

 

Can the Barkingside Business Partnership also be involved in the decisions to be made on the type of new lamp columns and improved street furniture and future regeneration proposals?

 

Regards

 

Paul Burke

Chairman

 

 

Lee Scott MP

House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

---

Think you know your TV, music and film? Try Search Charades!

BARKINGSIDE HIGH STREET

Consultation letter regarding the Sydney Road and Waverley Gardens junctions, the aim of the build-outs would be to physically prevent cars parking on the end of the marked out pay & display bays and to improve sightlines for traffic turning into the High Street as give-way lines would be moved forward in line with the outer edge of the build-outs. It is intended that the results of this further consultation will be reported to the 23rd January 2008 meeting of Area 3 Committee for consideration.

 

Transport for London has provided funding for the traffic management measures and CCTV in the current financial year which Area 3 Committee has approved. The allocation also allows for the implementation of the build-outs if approved. New lamp columns and improved street furniture will be implemented during 2008/9. There may be further opportunities for public realm improvements as part of future regeneration proposals which could be included in bids for external funding.

 

Purchase your Christmas DVD at Barkingside Home Hardware for only £3. The money raised will help the Business Partnership in the future.

Rating News

The Government has recently announced the provisional multipliers in England for 2008/09 as follows:

Non-Domestic Rating Multiplier 0.462

Small Business Non-Domestic Rating Multiplier 0.458

Full details are available from the CLG website by clicking here or call our Property Helpline.

Retail Scene

BRC Sales Monitor reported very subdued sales in November with like-for-like increases of only 1.2% compared with November 2006 and 1.8% uplift in sales for the 3 months to November when compared with the previous year. Discussions with members indicate that Christmas trading to date has been generally disappointing and the ‘rush’ is still awaited. It is reported that large retailers are to ask the Government to extend opening by four hours on the last Sunday prior to Christmas, in an attempt to overcome the current poor trading situation. There is concern that most people will be travelling or concentrating on food shopping on Christmas Eve.

 

ASOS, the on-line fashion retailer has reported phenomenal sales in recent weeks and this reflects the continuing boom in internet sales generally, where sales are anticipated to reach £15bn for the Xmas quarter, up 60% on 2006. John Lewis was also bucking the trend reporting a 7% uplift in sales for the third week in November to £71m.

 

On the downside Moss Bros issued a profit warning after losing £800k in the first half of the year, it reported total sales falling 3.7% in the last 18 weeks. Sofa specialist ScS also reported like for like sales down 16% in a recent trading update.

 

Tesco has launched the first 15 stores of its new Fresh & Easy concept on the US west coast to great acclaim and plans to increase the number to 200 by February 2009.

The debate has begun

Barkingside does not need the pedestrion crossing moved 15 yards outside Somerfields, it does not need the boundary for craven car park moved to give a bigger pavement outside the carpark when it was moved 5 years ago what is this all about.? we as a Partnership have been trying to improve the High Street and when you have schemes that do not improve parking in the Street but seem to annoy our potential customers with the rents increasing due to unlicense premises paying over the top rents which effect the whole high street and the Council allowing them to trade. Come on people wake up, our local councillors seem more content in arguing amongst themselves than supporting the high street and unless we make our achievments so far into a legacy for barkingside we will be defeated by red tape and personal goals.

So why this debate is going on lets not forget our local councillors who have been elected by our local community, in all our aims i have not heard one of them speak up for Barkingside they seem more interested in what is happening in there own backsides.

Barkingside can be a example to other high Street we have the profile and we are not going away .

So work with us or get blown away

High Street's Role

For 70% a local high street is a vital part of a healthy society. It provides a mix of local identity, social cohesion plus a practical local resource.

Shopping Space

Despite the expansion of out of town alternatives, 60% think the high street should be somewhere they can do the bulk of their shopping. Half see it in equally practical terms as somewhere to go for specific things or as an ad hoc shopping place.

Meeting Place

Practicalities aside, the social role of the high street is still very important for large groups of people right across the economic and social divide. Almost two thirds (63%) feel a high street should be a place to meet people. Over half (54%) say it should be a place where the elderly can socialise or where the young can shop and meet friends safely (56%)

The function of a high street becomes even more important among the young themselves, with two thirds (66%) of younger adults studied seeing the high street’s role as a safe shopping and meeting place for the younger people.

Practicalities aside, the social role of the high street is still very important for large groups of people right across the economic and social divide

Back to the Future

Barkingside High Street Goes Back to the Future

In conjunction with the Continental Market Barkingside Business Partnership are taking the residents and community back in time on 15th December out side barkingside library from 12 noon until 4pm

Proffessor Emmott Brown will be in Barkingside High Street with his time travelling Delorean from the Back to the future films.

He will be entertaining the children and showing off his patented Flux Capacitor in all its glory.

Coffee Mornings with Barkingside 21

in the Hainault Room,

Fullwell Cross Library

10:00am – 12:00noon

Thursday 17^th January 2008

Guest speaker: Jenny Douse

Health Improvement, Redbridge PCT

Thursday 21^st February 2008

Guest speaker: Chris Chandler

And the Fullwell Safer Neighbourhood Team

Thursday 27^th March 2008

Guest speaker: Morris Hickey & Others

Barkingside Regeneration

Keep up with local affairs by attending Area Committee Meetings

Keep up with local affairs by attending

Area Committee Meetings

Area 3:

[Fairlop, Fullwell & Hainault wards]

Wednesday 23^rd January 2008

start 7:15pm

venue: to be confirmed

----------------0-----------------

Area 4:

[Aldborough, Barkingside & Clayhall wards]

Thursday 31^st January 2008

start 7:15pm

at Oaks Park School, Newbury Park

Relocation of Continental Market

Due to problems with the paved area outside the swimming pool the Christmas market is to be relocated to Fairlop car park in Craven Gardens. We are still good for the 13^th to the 16^th of December. We hope to see you all there are hope that you will all continue to support Barkingside.

This is the first continental market to come to our high street and with your support we hope to see more.

FW: [Your Barkingside] Planning application 2998/07 105 high Street Barkingside

We as a partnership would like to object to the change of usage at the above premises for the following reasons:

In considering this application the planning section of the council will be using the principle planning policies UDP CC14 and LDF R3

In policy CC14 it states:

Proposals that result in more than 15m of adjoining frontage being in use for the purpose other than A1 would be refused.

Taking the application as the centre block no more than 15 metres out of 30m should be non A1 use.

With an A3 premises either side, clearly the proposed change does not comply with the above criteria contained in Policy CC14.

In policy LDF R3 it states:

The retail role remains predominant. As a General guideline the proportion of A1 units shall be no less than 70 %, the figure for Barkingside is now in the low 60% ratio of A1 usage so retail is not in the predominate role.

I would also mention there is now an over proliferation of A3 Usage in Barkingside High Street.

Please also refer to policy BF 22 and would show concerns that this extraction system affects next door neighbours and the external extract flue is dissimilar to other flues located to rear of properties along Barkingside High Street and is therefore not consistent with policy BF1 and BF22 and I would suggest is not in a safe condition and raises the concern regarding local residents safety.

I would also like to raise why no planning permission has been applied for when changing the shop front?

My last referral is to the previous application which was made on these premises for change of usage,

And the decision made by the Regional Planning Committee North and I have extracted the result below

Regional Planning Committee North (Aldborough, Barkingside, Clayhall, Fairlop, Fullwell and Hainault)
Wednesday, 9th May, 2007 7.15 p.m.

0687/07 Mr. Stavros Nicola	105 High Street, Barkingside.
Decision: Refused planning permission. The proposal which involves the loss of a retail unit within the Town Centre would result in an over-concentration of non-retail uses harming the vitality and viability of the retail function of the retail parade, contrary to Policy CC14 of this Council’s Unitary Development Plan.

I would also hope that this application is not referred to Regional Planning Committee North for consideration as the previous application has already been refused and this would be a waste of the Committees time.

--
Posted By working for the good of Barkingside to Your Barkingside at 11/21/2007 04:27:00 PM

Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.14.6/1060 - Release Date: 09/10/2007 16:43

Barkingside will never be the same again

More Pictures from Barkingside, Barkingside Rocking

Barkingside will never be the same again

What a Night!


Barkingside was rocking last night and it was a night when we should all be proud of the Partnership.
I would like to say a special thank you to the Kenneth More Theatre they were brilliant,
Louise Bagan who had an excellent voice (X Factor material)
The St Augustine’s Choir
The Hillbilly Express who were excellent
Lee Scott our MP
And let’s not also forget Ziggy what a nice guy
Father Christmas, the snowman, elves and reindeer well done Angie and the staff from Tootsie. You put 100% into the event and it paid of
Father Christmas Horse and Carriage supplied by Hawes funeral directors
The Clowns and Jugglers supplied by the Great British Circus
And the Fireworks wow!
A big thank you to Martin from Pizza Hut for his hard work and who co-ordinated all the events on stage (I think you are in the wrong Job Mate!)

I would also like to say a special thank you to Time Radio and the Ilford Recorder who gave us so much publicity.
Martins mum and Chris who supplied the PA system.
Elliot from James shoe care who worked hard with me and Martin setting up the stage.
Daniel Home Hardware and Angie Tootsie who were working hard getting all the stage material and performers ready.
Sainsbury’s who supplied the Mince Pies, wine and other goodies
Pizza Hut who supplied the Pizzas
Haven House Girls what lovely people
Willie the janitor who plugged us into the National Grid.
The Army and Navy crew for helping on the night.
Sgt Christopher Chandler who kept us all safe

This event took 3 weeks to organize and it all started at our last partnership meeting where the £1000 we had raised for the Christmas lights was match funded by the Councils regeneration team and Area 3 pledged £4,500 towards the lights.

I hope you will all attend our next meeting on Tuesday 4th December at 5.30pm at the Pie and Mash Shop where we will be organizing the first Continental street market to come to Barkingside on the weekend of the 16th December

Paul Burke ChairmanBBP



Message from your treasurer.

Ps (Begging Note)

The event cost us quite a bit more than we thought so if anyone who has not contributed to the Christmas fund please drop you payment into Daniel at Home Hardware.

We would like to hold more events in the future and we can only do this with your help, also if you would like an active roll please attend the next meeting.

Hello Everyone

Preparations for Friday the 16^th are well under way. Ziggy from Big Brother will be there to turn the lights on. .

Please, please please, spread the word, we need as many people there as possible. We are still looking for funding so anyone who has not contributed please join in and be a team player.

Time FM will also be there with their road crew so plenty of advertising for all. The Ilford Recorder will be running a piece this week and next.

Ho, ho ho Merry Christmas everyone and we look forward to seeing you all

Regards

Daniel Kaye

Barkingside Home Hardware

Treasurer to Barkingside Business Partnership.

Its beginning to look alot like Christmas

Christmas will be coming to Barkingside on 16th of Novermber at 5pm so don't delay.


With the efforts of the Business Partnership, funding from Area 3 this should be a day to remember.At 5pm the lights will be turned on by our guest of the evening, getting the event under way.
We will be having Carols from St Augustine’s Choir conducted by Tracy Rubery and Juggles and Clowns from the Great British Circus.There will be Glow Sticks for the kids and Mince pies for the adults thanks to Sainsbury’s and Pizza thanks to Pizza Hut. Santa will be making an appearance with his own form of transport. There will also be a Bluegrass Acoustic Duo entertaining along the street.
This is the time to be Merry and bring life back into Barkingside.We would like to ask every Business in Barkingside to make every effort with their Christmas display this year, we understand you may not all sell Christmas products but we would like to see an effort from you all.

We look forward in seeing you all.

Barkingside Business Partnership.