Where in Hertford can you buy a pair of shoes, ladies underwear or a baby’s potty?
The answer is that you can’t; not if you like your foot to be measured, are a lady of a certain age or have searched all the obvious places like chemist shops. I found the latter item in Messages where you’d least expect to find a baby’s potty. There are no shoe shops left in town and unless you are a young lady with a svelte like figure places to find those essential pieces of clothing are far and few between.
I have just completed an up to date database of the town’s business premises. I last wrote a similar report in 2007 and the town centre profile has changed quite dramatically. There is now almost a total reliance on the service sector. People used to comment that all Hertford had to offer was estate agents, charity shops and hairdressers. In the past it was easy to refute these claims but now the facts are quite stark.
There are 269 retail outlets including Banks of which there are 8. Of those 159 retail premises offering services, 39 are in the health & beauty sector (hairdressers, nail bars, salons etc) and 65 are in the food and drink sector (Bars, coffee shops, takeaways etc). These two sectors alone account for 66% of all service sector businesses. In 2007 this was 55%.
Since I wrote the report the premises once occupied by Clintons Cards is now being rebuilt as a Turkish restaurant, Slades is a restaurant/cafe, East Herts Electrical is a Mens hairdressers, Artico is a smoothie bar and The Decorated Room is to be another smoothie bar (now an Italian restaurant).
There are long standing traders who are about to close. Colin Sykes will retire in May, Michaels Jewellery is to close at the end of February and I know of at least another two long standing traders who are on the point of closing or moving.
What will come in their place? Answers on a postcard.
The revised application by Van Hages for a food store presumed to be Waitrose is due to be considered by Planning Department shortly and we await with breath bated the application from Wrenbridge for the regeneration plans for Bircherley Green. As I have said before either Waitrose will leave for Ware or close its doors for good in 2016; and if Wrenbridge succeed there will be a big hole in Hertford for at least eighteen months – probably more.
In the meantime where is everybody going to go for essential everyday items? Not Hertford. Possibly Harlow, Stevenage or Welwyn Garden City. No one wants to shop out of town but given the lack of depth in Hertford’s shopping offer does anyone have a choice any more?
There is a need for a Local Plan but where is that going to come from? There is an election in May but I doubt if any of the local issues found in this blog will be addressed. At the heart of the matter everyone seems quite happy living here – and that is the real problem. Good schools, good transport links, low crime rates etc etc. At night there are plenty of bars and eateries to suit all tastes but no one is here during the day and no one seems bothered about how the town will look in another 8 years.
All previous posts archived here:
- May 2022 (1)
- February 2022 (2)
- November 2021 (1)
- September 2021 (1)
- February 2021 (1)
- November 2020 (1)
- October 2020 (2)
- September 2020 (1)
- July 2020 (2)
- June 2020 (1)
- May 2020 (2)
- April 2020 (2)
- March 2020 (1)
- February 2020 (3)
- January 2020 (2)
- December 2019 (1)
- November 2019 (1)
- October 2019 (3)
- September 2019 (2)
- August 2019 (2)
- July 2019 (1)
- June 2019 (1)
- May 2019 (2)
- April 2019 (1)
- March 2019 (3)
- February 2019 (2)
- January 2019 (3)
- March 2018 (1)
- November 2017 (1)
- September 2017 (1)
- August 2017 (1)
- June 2017 (2)
- March 2017 (3)
- February 2017 (2)
- January 2017 (2)
- November 2016 (10)