Enhancing the Trading Environment

Our early efforts to improve the trading environment were centred on Marchmont Street, for which we pursued various initiatives to enhance the prospects of our predominantly independent local businesses. We published our iconic "SHOP MARCHMONT STREET" poster in 2006. In 2007 we published a directory of all local shops and services within our wider area of benefit, which was delivered to local households. In 2009 we worked in partnership with Camden Council to deliver the 'Love your local high street' campaign, with banners on lamp posts, features in Camden publications and web site and a 'Golden Santa' event with Steel Band and stilt walker (see photo opposite).

We persuaded Camden Council and Allied London Properties (former owners of the Brunswick) to install several new direction signs pointing to Marchmont Street shops and a new street name plate at the south entrance to Marchmont Street to provide instant recognition for visitors emerging from the station. We lobbied Camden/TfL to include our area in the innovative 'Legible London' street signage scheme, which has since been extended from the West End to Kings Cross and St Pancras International stations - putting our area literally 'on the map' and easier to find for visitors to London. Two 'pop-up' shops set up in empty Council commercial premises at our request were subsequently let to excellent tenants. We were not able to persuade the Council to install festive lights along our shopping streets, as they do with other local 'high streets' in the borough - and the cost of doing this was beyond the means of our independent traders. However, in December 2011, with the help of a lottery grant, we were able, for the first time, to instal a Christmas tree, which provided the setting for a mini-Carol festival with 3 local choirs singing in front of the Marchmont Community Garden.

We have persuaded Camden to install many new cycle stands adjacent to independent retail premises, which has encouraged cyclists to shop locally. Our annual Shop Front Awards continue to improve the appearance of our Neighbourhood Shopping Centre, which enjoys one of the lowest vacancy rates in London. Several new businesses opened in 2012 and a number of existing businesses upgraded their shop fronts. We have recently asked the Council to look at giving Leigh Street the 'Marchmont Street treatment', as a means of improving the street environment for the benefit of businesses and residents.

Finally, we aim to promote local businesses with this web site, which provides a free listing for every local, independent business in our area of benefit, with details of the products and services they offer. All new businesses are also announced in the News section, which is circulated to MA Members. If you have a local business and you don't see it listed, please contact us using the link in any of the 'Get Involved' boxes on this web site.

Additional Info:  

http://www.marchmontassociation.org.uk/business-links.asp
 
 

Created On 04 November 2010