| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Can't something be done about the Pain Quo site? | |
| Posted by: | David Lesniak | |
| Date/Time: | 18/06/19 09:21:00 |
| Last week Steve Curran said something interesting about CHR being too long. He may be on to something. One of the firms Hammersmith will be collaborating with on King Street cycle provisions studied Detroit and found the overall infrastructure of that city is too big for purpose and thus that city is burdened with the costs of maintaining it for no real purpose - a bit like what Adrian said about the madness of dooming businesses to fail. Brentford has just begun an extensive regeneration. A bit large in scale for CHR but the dynamics are similar. If CHR were to be rezoned and if LBH worked with local landlords and agents on an actual vision then maybe things can be turned around. The same process must be at play in Brentford as the entire south side of retail has been shuttered to facilitate construction. Surely that involved many independent landlords. Perhaps if the extreme ends of CHR were given over to either residential or businesses that don't require footfall to survive then those serving as a destination and generating footfall could be condensed into a shorter stretch. Rents and rates would have to reflect that. It is blatantly obvious the current means and methods are no longer sustainable for creating a thriving town centre. And no, a bike lane is not the be all and end all solution. Should it be one of the puzzle pieces? Absolutely. As should every other bit of infrastructure needed for a local community as well as one seen and used as a destination. Local footfall and demographics are not enough to generate the revenue needed to cover current costs let alone build a war chest for future-proofing or expanding ones business. |