Bishop’s Stortford BID (Business Improvement District) joint manager Karen Burton writes for the Indie
I’ve often remarked, when discussing the challenges of Bishop’s Stortford town centre’s beleaguered access issues, that the problem is so much happens on our high street.
My last piece in the Indie, highlighting the BID’s 300-plus town centre business and the variety on offer, received some lovely comments. It also attracted predictable complaints, mainly about road works and parking options.
As a resident of the town, I feel the pain too! It is worth remembering that, although it feels like it, the road works can’t go on forever!
Retail consultant Mary Portas highlighted last week how the rise of out-of-town shopping centres, retail parks and supermarket superstores came about. In short, the government of the 1980s gave tax breaks to developers to build in areas where old industries no longer existed, aiming to regenerate disused land and create new jobs.
This led to the rise of out-of-town shopping malls and retail parks, all with free parking and easy access. Consequently, many big retailers chose to leave their traditional high street locations for the cheaper, purpose-built premises offered in these locations.
Fast-forward to now and, with the rapid post-Covid rise of internet shopping habits, high streets across the country are, not surprisingly, struggling.
In response, Mary suggests, “what if we turn that 1980s incentive on its head and offer something similar to high street premises of today? What would happen?” An interesting thought!
I believe Bishop’s Stortford is already a pretty good realisation of that vision. Our town did not get out-of-town retail centres. Instead, our 1970s-built Jackson Square has been extended and redeveloped, first in the noughties to incorporate supermarket Sainsbury’s and a much larger car park, then an additional floor in 2019 to accommodate H&M. And now another multi-million project is currently under construction with the arrival of TK Maxx leading the new line-up in 2025.
Our high street, along with the growing local population, has changed significantly over the past four decades. But it remains the place where it all happens, from a visit to the dentist or doctor’s, a trip to one of our gyms and your weekly shop to catching a train or enjoying some retail therapy and a bite to eat.
It’s hardly surprising then that our roads are clogged and car parks are well-used; there are so many reasons to visit!
I completely agree with Mary - offering incentives to encourage businesses to invest and people to fall back in love with their local high street is definitely worth a try. Encouraging new uses from forward-thinking, creative people can only be positive. Who wants same old, same old?!
The challenge will be developing each town’s infrastructure to support this. How can an influx of visitors be managed without creating new problems around traffic and parking?
So, with this in mind, the BID is going to reach out to Mary and invite her to experience what a town centre can be like when it hasn’t been overshadowed by out-of-town options. If she accepts the invitation, I hope she can use her wonderfully creative and positive mind to help us figure out how all the pieces fit together for Bishop’s Stortford and for newly regenerated high streets of the future.
Watch this space!