ACS

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has signalled his support for small shops at a Business Summit in City Hall. ACS were in attendance at the Summit and have worked with the Mayor to help him better understand the importance of a diverse retail sector in London. However ACS has made clear their concerns about the likely benefit of the specific proposals unveiled today.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “The Mayor has set out clearly his personal support for diversity in retail and I know that he is committed to the health and sustainability of small businesses in particular. We fully support the overall strategy but the specific proposal needs to be rethought as it could well backfire.”

The Mayor has set out his intention to require legally binding commitments from developers that they will provide affordable space for independent retailers in any new major developments.

Mr Lowman continued: “This is an idea that has gained currency in recent times. We do not see it as a credible safeguard for diversity.

“This type of scheme is often a soft concession by developers targeted not at increasing competition but allowing the co-existence of non-competitor specialist boutiques in massive developments. In this situation a poorly planned or unnecessary development will harm diversity in a whole local market, this is in no way counterbalanced by a few small units.

“The uppermost priority for an effective retail planning policy in London is to ensure that the rate of development is managed and the types of proposals that get approval have been robustly assessed against what is in the long term interest of the local community and economy. In many cases large developments threaten diversity and these have to be resisted.

“We are keen to continue working with the Mayor to ensure his strategy for diverse retailing in London is achieved. As we will stress to him this goes way beyond a few small concessions from the major developers.”


Contacts:

Shane Brennan Public Affairs Director
01252 515001/ 07921 372 978

Nina Collins Communications Coordinator
01252 515001

Michael Saxton/ Grappa PR
Julie Kirby 020 7602 9222



Notes to Editors:

1. ACS (Association of Convenience Stores) is the voice of local shops, representing over 33,000 convenience stores. ACS helps local shops thrive through lobbying, support and networking opportunities.