Nairn High Street: Pulse joins closures
The Nairn Property Centre lists Pulse as up for the sale, one of the newer shops on the high street, catering to young men’s clothing.
Speculation also continues that Mackays (M&Co) is also in trouble and may have to close their high street branch in Nairn.
The P&J reports concerns that Elgin’s high street is also in a long decline, though takes the marked route that out of town development is killing Elgin’s high street.
While some may raise their heads in fear at a new Sainsbury’s and retail expansion at Balmakeith, and how this may impact Nairn’s high street, I can only suggest that there is not enough “pull” for shoppers to make the high street a major shopping focus in the first place. Most people are commuting out to Tesco or Morrisons anyway.
What we really need is for an intelligent business organisation (the Nairn Business Association doesn’t project itself well at present) to represent Nairn’s business interests, and sit down with the planners, to see how existing council powers can be used to positively impact market forces to encourage redevelopment.
At present there’s an awful situation where owners of commercial property can just sit on empty buildings, but there’s a scheme in planning which could see councils force the reopening of unused commercial property for community projects – certainly a very welcome idea.
There’s also the potential investment from Help Our High Street, though it remains to be seen what the practical realities of this will be.
In the meantime, hope is not lost for the high street – but there needs to be action on the part of the council to help put in play initiatives to help encourage those of us who would invest in the high street to do so.
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10 Responses to “Nairn High Street: Pulse joins closures”
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Sorry People I feel you are a little out of touch with the problems of High streets all over the highlands not just Nairn.
It is a simple matter of Rates and Rents.
The last thing we need is more charity shops but that is what we will get with the community projects.
However right now they are the only ones that can afford to be in the high street.
Why because as a charity they do not have to pay rates.
So if the council and the owners want to get something out of the empty shops reduce the extravagant rents and rates.
Other wise we will end up with a high street full of community projects that look as attractive as the unsightly Citizens Advise Buro
obviously with your last comment you are totaly unaware of the great work that goes on behind your description of the look of the citizens advice bureau. this organisation is a life line to some folk going through hard times,
so does it really matter whats on the outside. its whats in the inside that really counts!
I do hope you never have cause to use this organisation, but then would you worry what the outside looked like? !!
Have to agree with the worry about ‘Charity shops’ In Yorkshire where I come from there is a small, once bustling town called Otley. Nearly every second shop is now a charity shop. Town looks unwelcoming, rundown and cheap as a result. No problem with the charities looking to make money, far from it, it’s just that more then one or two and people see that a town is dieing and’real’ shops are gone. Landlords, dvelopers and local councils need to support and encourage new and established businesess in any way they can. Lower rent/rates being the obvious ones.
Stephen
I am am well aware af what the CAB does.
I must agree the citizens advice bureau is a life line to some folk going through hard times and it does great good to many people all over the country.
I have never implied that it is not a worthwhile organisation.
I do feel that some of the people who volunteer do not have enough life experience to help others correctly, but they are volunteers and as long as they use the CAB facilities and find the right advise then, well and good.
As for you hoping I will never need its services I am with you on that because sorry guy no disrespect you are the last person I would come to for advise.
However I was referring to the shop fount and sorry it is an eyesore, I agree it is the advise given that counts but other towns can make their CAB centre look nice why cant Nairn.
Besides my main point was the high rents and Rates of the high street which you chose to overlook and take it as a pop at the CAB.
If the council was really serious about getting these shops filled they would lower the rates and if the owners want to fill the shops they would realise a reduced rent is better than no rent at all.
So I stand by what I say Nairn is turning into a charity shop town, well I suppose whilst I am at I could throw in takeaways.
Jake
Just a little tester for our friends in the CAB.
I know of four families in Nairn who are loosing their homes due to the credit crunch
All till now worked hard and bought their own homes.
The first worked abroad so could not get mortgage protection.
The second was a self-employed builder so he could not get mortgage protection.
The third was a contract worker in Aberdeen his contract came to an end and was not renewed so as he was not made redundant his mortgage protection did not pay out.
The fourth had mortgage protection however it only lasted a year and he has not found a job that pays enough to cover his mortgage and his council tax both so he has fallen behind on both and now faces loosing his house.
So where do they go?
You guessed it to the DHSS unfortunately the DHSS does not pay mortgages any more.
They will give billions to the banks who gave these people a mortgage that was in reality way out of their reach but that was the way of things in the last few years.
No council houses available and even Ex council houses selling for over 100k so what were they to do.
So back to the 4 family’s two of them have since lost their homes.
Now here is where it gets interesting.
One of the mortgages was £435 per month the other was £390 per month.
Both family’s have children so firstly they get crisis housing (1 assisted by the CAB).
Then into a private rental
The other went straight into a private rental.
The family assisted by the CAB are now in a house owned by a prominent councillor and the rent of £700 a month is being Paid by the DHSS.
The other has secured the lease on a house on a house of £550 per month again paid by the DHSS.
Both the family homes sold at a loss so the families still owe the banks substantial sums of money.
But the interesting point is the DHSS would not assist with the mortgages that were a lot less than the private sector rents however they were quite prepared to pay the rents.
Not to mention the billions they gave to the banks who’s negligence got these people in the mess in the first place.
I would prefer if the editor would put this story as a main topic as I would be interested to not only hear the advice of the CAB but also the good people of Nairn
Really not quite sure what one would expect to see in a Cab front window , apart from information for folk to see whats going on, perhaps heards of wilderbeast sweeping majestically across the plain or mount krakatoa erupting
Well Mr Fawlty lets see????
A clean tidy at least semi professional looking shop front.
I’m sorry if you don’t see the CAB window as an eyesore there is an optician near by.
As I said before the comment about CAB was a very small part of my statement.
The main part was not allowing our high street to turn into a charity street.
It was mainly directed at the shop owners who would rather leave them empty than reduce the rents or the council who would rather enforce extortionate rates and leave shops empty than reduce the rates.
Other councils operate a scheme where you do not start paying rates till you recoup your out lay for refurbishing an empty shop.
But no not Nairn they stick to the high rates and complain about empty shops.
Whilst the people of Nairn remain lethargic and post stupid comments about wilderbeast sweeping majestically across the plain or mount krakatoa erupting.
But what more did I expect form some one who calls himself basil fawlty.
As for the point of my four friends who lost their homes, I only put that comment there as I was not a member and could not post a Blog.
I knew the people from the CAB would be looking to protect their shop front and would see it and possibly post an answer.
I actually wanted it posted ad a main topic to see what people thought about the current situation where the DHSS will pay £700 to re house a family but not the £380 to keep them in their home.
To get peoples opinion on banks who gave way OTT mortgages to people, that with the slightest change in their circumstances, they would not be able to pay.
Where these mortgages became ”toxic debt”.
Or a government who will give Billions to these banks to clear the ”toxic debt”. but would not pay through DHSS housing allowance the mortgage to stop it becoming a ”toxic debt”in the first place
But alas I got as much a response from the CAB as my friends got when they went in.
And all the good people of Nairn want to talk about is wilderbeasts
Just to illuminate those with an interest in the shops on Nairn High Street, or an other Scottish High Street for that matter – When it comes to paying rates , in 2009/2010 any business with a rateable value of less than £8000 will get a 100% allowance, or basically pay nothing. Rateable value from £8001 to £10000 , you get %50 lopped of your rates bill & from £10001 to £15000, you get %25 relief.
details here http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/262685/0078523.pdf
Given that it could potentially save some small businesses up to £3500 a year, the 100% banding couldn’t have come at a better time.
So, anyone thinking about starting up a wee shop on the High Street will be rleived to hear that at least they don’t have to worry about rates at the moment.
Spurtle
Thanks I am glad to see some positive comments from my post this will be very helpful in my future plans
Best Regards
Jake
Stephen
My apologies, the CAB shop front is now a-days no longer an eye sore, sorry I had not been in town for a while and seen it today .
It is now very welcoming it is complementary and a credit to those who work there keep up the good work.
Now the worst window goes to the bookies