Author Topic: Town Centre  (Read 1610 times)

Hugh

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Town Centre
« on: Aug 17, 2019, 08:43:43 AM »
Until now we have had a Labour MP, who as allowed our town to be destroyed by councils. Mansfield once a great market town pretty much a waste of space. Due to high rates for shops and stall holders and car parking charges I for one never go into town any more. Public toilets now 20p to use if you know where they are. Our new conservative MP doing his best to get 2 hour free parking to try and get people back into the centre. He's not having much luck so far. He is very annoy our money being invested else where and not in Mansfield. Mansfield with the right council could become a tourist centre with so many places of interest a short distance away

Scrumpy

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Re: Town Centre
« Reply #1 on: Aug 17, 2019, 09:32:19 AM »



Internet shopping often gets blamed for towns becoming derelict and run down.. The high costs of rates that the local councils charge is a major factor..
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sparky

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Re: Town Centre
« Reply #2 on: Aug 17, 2019, 09:43:40 AM »
I believe the dream of rejuvenating  the old traditional High streets,   are just that, a dream, who would want nowadays having to traipse from shop to shop to complete our shopping, especially in winter, when you can wander around a superstore in comfort for everyday items, or sit a home and browse the internet for one off purchases that can be delivered to your door, one of the few high street shops that will still draw punters, are the small independent ladies clothes shops. I see the current trend much the same as the demise of the little village shops of years ago.

Macca

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Re: Town Centre
« Reply #3 on: Aug 17, 2019, 09:53:15 AM »
Many towns have numbers of Coffee outlets and Charity Shops. Charity shops do not pay taxes and employ volunteers yet they are NOT charitable... Primark and some other stores sell New Clothing cheaper than Charity Shops. Starbucks was recently found to have circumvented paying their due tax. What chance has young entrepreneurs, trying to set up a business on the high street. Amazon is the main problem. I use Amazon. The owner is the richest person ever to live on this planet. He has just paid his wife $37 Billion in divorce settlement. Good luck to him.
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GrannyMac

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Re: Town Centre
« Reply #4 on: Aug 17, 2019, 11:08:59 AM »
Charity shops are better than empty spaces, IMO.  I'm a volunteer and I see how hard the paid staff work in our shop.  If we get a Primark or another cheap make of item it will be cheaply priced for sale.  But if it's an expensive item it will be priced more realistically.  It would be an insult to someone who donated ssy a brand new pair of expensive shoes to help the charity, to sell them at Primark prices.

I spend time looking at donated jewellery, checking for hallmarks.  Found quite a few! 

I agree that the large superstores plus Internet shopping has seriously reduced choice in the high street.  Can't see that changing, and many of the younger entrepreneurs run their businesses online with no need for expensive premises.


Having said that our town centre is usually pretty busy!
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mick607

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Re: Town Centre
« Reply #5 on: Aug 17, 2019, 11:10:45 AM »
Many towns have numbers of Coffee outlets and Charity Shops. Charity shops do not pay taxes and employ volunteers yet they are NOT charitable... Primark and some other stores sell New Clothing cheaper than Charity Shops. Starbucks was recently found to have circumvented paying their due tax. What chance has young entrepreneurs, trying to set up a business on the high street. Amazon is the main problem. I use Amazon. The owner is the richest person ever to live on this planet. He has just paid his wife $37 Billion in divorce settlement. Good luck to him.
Notwithstanding the fact that Amazon are one of the worst employers with rubbish pay rates & sweatshop working conditions in thier warehouses. But still the public buy from them because they are much cheaper than the high street shops not having the usual overheads.

mick607

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Re: Town Centre
« Reply #6 on: Aug 17, 2019, 11:13:14 AM »
Charity shops are better than empty spaces, IMO.  I'm a volunteer and I see how hard the paid staff work in our shop.  If we get a Primark or another cheap make of item it will be cheaply priced for sale.  But if it's an expensive item it will be priced more realistically.  It would be an insult to someone who donated ssy a brand new pair of expensive shoes to help the charity, to sell them at Primark prices.

I spend time looking at donated jewellery, checking for hallmarks.  Found quite a few! 

I agree that the large superstores plus Internet shopping has seriously reduced choice in the high street.  Can't see that changing, and many of the younger entrepreneurs run their businesses online with no need for expensive premises.
Some charity shops are getting very greedy, charging high street prices for donated second hand goods. Some are reasonable  but a few I don't bother with anymore.

Ashy

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Re: Town Centre
« Reply #7 on: Aug 17, 2019, 11:18:39 AM »
Unfortunately as has been said, the concept of the high street as a row of shops and you would have to visit a number of them to make a typical shopping trip, has been overtaken by the supermarket and retail park on the one hand, and mail order on the other. Add to that the delight that local councils take in making life difficult for the voter and taxpayer, so that a visit to the high street with a motor car is nigh on impossible, and you have what you have: Nail bars, hopeful cafes, mosques and charity shops especially in big towns with big councillors. So, what can practicably be done with the high streets? They have to change.

Macca

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Re: Town Centre
« Reply #8 on: Aug 17, 2019, 11:36:15 AM »
Oxfam has been corrupt for decades. The charity shops are mega company style operations. Huge pay scale for the managers. I saw a guy, in need, ask if he could pay £1 for shoes on sale for £5. He was sharply told no! The shoes were freely given to the "charity shop"
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Alex22

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Re: Town Centre
« Reply #9 on: Aug 17, 2019, 11:56:47 AM »
I find the local hospice charity shops are the best, they have a big turnover and people give generously.  The large charities like Age Concern, British Heart Foundation etc all charge too much nowadays and as Macca says, the items are all given freely.
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Sheila

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Re: Town Centre
« Reply #10 on: Aug 17, 2019, 12:11:05 PM »
Our (Labour) council have ruined our nearest shopping centre with parking charges.  They caused an uproar by charging to park at country parks too.

I emailed the leader of the council, pointing out the error of his ways and he replied briefly, just telling me I was wrong!

sparky

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Re: Town Centre
« Reply #11 on: Aug 17, 2019, 12:27:24 PM »

Sheila, Surely you know by now these overpaid parasites always recon they know better than the anybody what is best for us.
 In  the same way as  the case I see this morning of a council head that thought it far more important to resurface the little use lane to his house and a few others, than the many  badly pot holed local  roads. but of he would insist he had no influence and road works are prioritised, ,,,,,,,year my arse

GrannyMac

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Re: Town Centre
« Reply #12 on: Aug 17, 2019, 01:14:19 PM »
I find the local hospice charity shops are the best, they have a big turnover and people give generously.  The large charities like Age Concern, British Heart Foundation etc all charge too much nowadays and as Macca says, the items are all given freely.

If they charged too much, they'd go out of business.  BHF puts an enormous amount of money into research, without which people like my OH probably wouldn't be here.

The shop where I volunteer has lots of variety in its prices, the items for sale are in decent condition.  We attract lots of different customers.  If people want really cheap then jumble sales are their best bet.
Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right.

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Hugh

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Re: Town Centre
« Reply #13 on: Aug 17, 2019, 01:28:47 PM »
Sheila, Surely you know by now these overpaid parasites always recon they know better than the anybody what is best for us.
 In  the same way as  the case I see this morning of a council head that thought it far more important to resurface the little use lane to his house and a few others, than the many  badly pot holed local  roads. but of he would insist he had no influence and road works are prioritised, ,,,,,,,year my arse

Any grass in front of councilors homes get frequently cut, on our road it never gets done by them.

mick607

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Re: Town Centre
« Reply #14 on: Aug 17, 2019, 01:30:19 PM »
If they charged too much, they'd go out of business.  BHF puts an enormous amount of money into research, without which people like my OH probably wouldn't be here.

The shop where I volunteer has lots of variety in its prices, the items for sale are in decent condition.  We attract lots of different customers.  If people want really cheap then jumble sales are their best bet.
No they are not GM.I love charity shop shopping but hate to be ripped off by some of them. Milking people in the name of charity springs to mind.I find animal charity shops the best, don't forget too that animal charities do not receive any govt funding like some of the big players do AND still rip the public off.