Amongst the GDPR debacle, town centres have been receiving a lot of bad press recently with many chains seemingly under pressure and many closing shops and restaurants, so it is in light of this that I am pleased to say Wimbledon is holding it’s own and our vacancy rate remains low. As some businesses leave we are very pleased to welcome a few new businesses to Wimbledon, all of whom currently are independents, so adding to the vibrancy and diversity of the town.
In this same vein you may have heard that the government is conducting an Inquiry on High streets and Town centres focussing on the future role of the high streets contribution to the local economy and the health, cohesion and cultural life of the local community. I have been asked to attend the GLA Sounding Board to assist them prepare their response and will be sharing information about this vital relationship in Wimbledon Town Centre.
Within the next few weeks, we are expecting the results of the Affordability Review of Crossrail2 which will decide whether the project is viable. The team at Love Wimbledon will be very busy preparing for #tennistown and we are delighted that Peugeot are sponsoring our BIG Screen on The Piazza this year enabling us to deliver even better value to our businesses. Celebrating the tennis is absolutely key for us but do watch out for our new Summer Guide shouting about our businesses and the sheer range of great brands, the top places to go out, what’s new in town and what to do (especially with kids!). From alfresco eating, to cool camping, we take great pride in promoting our town centre to over 65,000 customers.
Meanwhile the closing date for the Merton Best Business Awards is coming up fast, and I look forward to judging your entries, seeing you on The Piazza soaking up the atmosphere of The Championships or even celebrating England’s progress (or not) with you in The World Cup at one of our lovely pubs!