Subway anyone?

bennyfromtheblok

Does anyone remember the lovely flower shop that used to be on Seven Sisters road? Well, it's now a Subway! Between the Arsenal shop and the Post Office on S/S and the first 100m of Blackstock there must be 20 fast food joints, 10 tat and phone shops and 10 Greengrocers.
Does anyone else agree that the council should take responsibility to make sure there is a mix of facilities on the road? I mean, they give out licences to the food outlets and could incentivise the landlords to let to a variety of business types. Is there a way to petition them or is it just me that is overloaded on cheap chicken shops?

graeme

That is grim indeed. MORE food outlets? That whole area is a filthy dump and any decent shops struggle (ie the flower shop) given the atmosphere of scum. Dotori is bucking the trent I guess. I guess Subway being a chain might have a bit more, um, cachet?

Chicken shops can make about £2500-3000 a week(!) if <a href="http://www.propertyindex.com/RS2199029">this</a> in Poplar is anything to go by, so no wonder anyone with a cleaver and a Transit wants to open for bizniz.

Maybe the counicls think Seven Sisters Road is beyond redemption, or maybe the area's residents just really love chicken.

Reg

@benny, this is a difficult one for the council as, other than market forces (that produces the 'mix' you have) who is to say what an appropriate mix is? And if you start incentivising certain uses you get in to all sorts of anti-competition hot water. One option that *is* open to the council is to restrict the uses through the planning system. Westminster has been doing this for years by not allowing more than three take-aways in a row for example. A variation on this theme could work. The [Use Classes Order](http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/genpub/en/1011888237913.html) breaks retail uses in to five sub-groups. Movement between the groups is subject to planning permission. However, once a unit has the permission to operate within a class there is not much you can do to alter it, unless you own it of course. Oddly, sandwich shops like Subway are within Class A1, as is a florist, so there is nothing the council could have done to prevent this, even if your lobbying moved them to. Incidentally, I happen to know the owner of the unit in question. Tell me what you would rather have and I will pass on the message. Bear in mind that although the florist was 'lovely' not enough people chose to part with their 'lovely' money there...

ben

@optimo75

'the atmosphere of scum' - I'm interested in what you mean by this.

injoke

i love cheap chicken. so there.

bennyfromtheblok

In all honesty, I don't mind Subway too much as their shop is clean and due to it being part of a bigger franchise they will have to keep their area cleaner than most. It's the smaller grotty places I wish there were not so many of.
I understand that market forces determine who lasts and who doesn't but would be good if the landlords took some responsibility for diversity in their area.

poxy

<i>but would be good if the landlords took some responsibility for diversity in their area.</i>

Benny: You've over polished your spectacles, the rose-tinting is wearing away.

graeme

@ben, the filth all over the pavements and bins around the dilapidated shop fronts on Seven Sisters Rd. The dirt pretty much hangs in the air. That ok? Cheers.

rainbow_carnage

I'll take a Subway any day over yet another fried chicken place. Or a shop selling bowls of rotting vegetables/phone chargers.

poxy

<a href="http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/content/islington/gazette/news/story.aspx?brand=ISLGOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsislg&itemid=WeED12 Aug 2009 13:13:25:380" target="drive-by">I don't understand the fuss, it's a lovely, peaceful stretch of road</a>

underscore_cue

"sportswear store with no name" omg that made me giggle -- talk about obvious front to something very sketchy! Then I read on: "Two months ago when it was a barber's shop some people drove by and shot at it then too."

graeme

[wrong thread]

ben

@optimo75
Yes, thanks. I thought at first that you were referring to the people who live and hang around the area as 'scum', and I was going to object to that.