The Camden Green Party’s annual survey of shops in Highgate ward has been released. It found that vacancy rates in this area have almost doubled from 4% in 2006, when the survey first started, to 7.4% in 2009. The local survey covers 175 shops in five local shopping streets: Highgate Road, York Rise, Chester Road, Swains Lane and Highgate High Street.
Green Party councillor Adrian Oliver (Highgate) said, "The trend in our survey results is clear, and highlighted by the sad loss from Highgate High Street of the Dragonfly organic food shop and restaurant, which closed last week. It is important that each of us re-evaluate our shopping habits to see if we can spend more with our local independent shops."
Details of the survey of 175 shops can be found here.
1. The national survey was published on 31 July by the Local Data Company (LDC). It says the average retail vacancy rate for England and Wales has risen from 4% a year ago to almost 12% now; about 12,000 independent shops and nearly 7,000 branches of major chains have closed so far this year.
2. Camden Green Party’s annual survey in Highgate ward began in 2006 when the party won its first two seats on Camden council.