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Welcome to the Camberwell Online blog, a place for free and spirited exchange on anything with even a tangential connection to the South-East London district.
Village Green Preservation Society
Published by Peter | Filed under General, Places
The New Economics Foundation released the Clone Town Britain report today, which judges national high streets and London ‘villages’ by the number of global and national chain stores on them. Exeter is the worst in Britain, Wimbledon the worst in London.
Predictably, the focus is on North and West London. It’s a shame, as I think Camberwell would have come out quite well had it been included in this report; there are still a large number of independent shops and the chains are at a minimum - although it’s not really a high street.
Clone stores have a triple whammy on communities: they bleed the local economy of money, destroy the social glue provided by real local shops that holds communities together, and they steal the identity of our towns and cities.
Which was kind of the point I tried to make in my earlier post; by shopping locally (where we can), we keep the heart of Camberwell active and the identikit chains at bay. And that’s not to say that things can’t be improved (less fast food shops and more fresh produce would be a start), just that it’s nicer to eat at Tadim than it is at Subway.
Fred Says (#1882):
June 8th, 2005 at 11:28 am
Hear hear.
ben patio Says (#1883):
June 8th, 2005 at 12:58 pm
And let’s hear it for Seymour’s Cafe, Wordsworth Bookshop and the DIY section in Camberwell Stores as well.
Cheeks Says (#1884):
June 8th, 2005 at 4:02 pm
… and the very knowledgeable fellows at Duraty Electronics, and the bakers at Sophocles, the nice old blokes in Cruson…
ben patio Says (#1885):
June 8th, 2005 at 5:30 pm
I’m saying this quietly, but I have in the past had to overlook the odd semi-stale loaf of bread or bug-infested bunch of coriander from Sophocles or Cruson. Generally they’re great though.
Alison McGovern Says (#1886):
June 8th, 2005 at 5:37 pm
Not too mention the ultra stylish and friendly chaps in Sugamomma
Stuart Says (#1895):
June 9th, 2005 at 10:47 am
Just to let people know, (as it was previously mentioned on this site), I have received the following mail from Southwark Planning office this morning, regarding the large bill board that appeared on the juction of Camberwell Green a few months back:
I can confirm that the hoarding is unauthorised and as such constitutes a breach of planning control. It is considered to be totally unacceptable in visual amenity terms given its size and position on this prominently located building in Camberwell Green. It is therefore the subject of formal enforcement action to secure its removal. Accordingly, a report has been drafted recommending the service of formal notices (served under section 11 of the London Local Authorities Act 1995)l. The instructions for the Legal department to issue these notices will be dispatched this week. Importantly, there is no right of appeal against such notices, unlike standard planning enforcement notices and the Council is empowered to take direct action to remove unlawful hoardings unless the advertiser removes them as required by the notice. Planning Enforcement is committed to using these robust powers and we are using them to secure the removal of the advertisement hoarding on the flank wall of 76 Denmark Hill.
ben patio Says (#1896):
June 9th, 2005 at 11:40 am
Rock ‘n’ roll!
CamberwellOnline Blog » One in the eyesore Says (#1909):
June 14th, 2005 at 11:48 am
[...] on the corner of Camberwell Green, and I wrote an email to Southwark Council regarding it. Stuart, a regular visitor, did likewise, and today he received a reply: I can confirm [...]