A cut too far?

[Thomzo]

http://yourcardiff.walesonline.co.uk/20 ... charities/

Shopmobility Cardiff are losing nearly £10,000 of Council funding. It seems a bit silly to cut funds for something that brings trade to the City. Or is that just me being naive?

Zoe

[Flo]

I think naive is the right word Zoe. Councils have no value for town centre shopping facilities. They seem to think that money lies with the supermarkets, large shed businesses such as B&Q, Homebase or whatever on the out of town sites where cars can be parked and maybe a passing bus run for those with no cars. The trouble is that people flock to shop at the bigger places due to the lower prices (or so they think). Then there is the internet.

In hard times people shop on price not on the facilities of the town centre which is often not open when a lot of workers wish to shop.

The town centre is not the shopping destination that it used to be.

[GeorgeSalt]

The centres of large towns have suffered because planners decided several decades ago to remove the residential homes/flats and create a retail monoculture. Residents have to be put back into town centres to create the communities that will support vibrant businesses and create the retail/leisure destination for those living outside the centre. Smaller market towns have coped better, because the mix of residential/retail was retained.

Given the forecast demographics, putting elderly residential units into town centres could be a step forward. To be supported by generating mixed housing developments, including moderately priced town apartments and social housing flats. Consider public ownership of these developments and rent controls to encourage a balanced population mix. The cost of fuel, insurance, etc. has seen a decline in car ownership by young people - give them somewhere to live in the centre of town that's good quality and affordable and they'll provide the custom that a successful town needs and support the public transport system. Slow down the out-of-town and suburban residential development, enable change of use from commercial/retail to residential in the centre and support public transport - the big retail boxes on the edges of towns only survive due to the aspirational car culture and suburban lifestyle. The town centres have to be places people can and want to live in with a reasonable standard of living.

[Thomzo]

I grew up in a third floor flat right in the centre of London. The two floors below us were mainly offices and the ground floor had shops facing outwards. The place was constantly occupied; the offices and shops during the day and the flats in the evening. Crime was very low despite the city centre location because there were always people around. I've never understood why this model wasn't copied in new developments. It's so much better for the environment as well as being very sociable.

[Flo]

The powers that be charge the earth in various forms of rates for town centre properties nowadays which would probably explain why so little is done to make use of them.